Grading the Rangers & Ducks Chris Kreider Trade

Anaheim is clearly buying low here, and I understand why they did so. The Ducks have some very good, young talent in Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Olen Zellweger, and Pavel Mintyukov just to name a few. They are all players who look to be fantastic in the coming years, but need some veteran guidance. Enter Kreider. No, I do not think he will score 52 goals again like he did in the 2021-22 season. I also don’t think he will have 75 points like he did in the 2023-24 season, which was the second-best point total of his career. However, I definitely think that the Ducks can get Kreider back to around 25 goals and 45 points, especially if he plays a more reserved role on their second or even third line.

At that $6.5 million cap hit for the next two seasons, the Ducks need to get some increased production from Kreider, otherwise this grade I’m giving will be extremely kind. I’m banking on the Ducks being able to revive Kreider’s career after a disappointing season, which was also riddled with injury.

In terms of the fourth-round pick, the Ducks could definitely use that on a solid prospect. Their scouting department has done a great job of finding talent throughout the draft, and it will only bolster the Ducks’ fantastic prospect system. For the Ducks, I think a solid B+ grade is fair, as I think Kreider can regain some of his form from years prior and be a great veteran presence for the young Ducks.

New York Rangers: A

The first thing I had to check when I saw this trade come through was if the Rangers had to retain salary. As soon as I learned that the Ducks are eating all of his $6.5 million cap hit, I thought this trade was an absolute win. Getting a solid prospect in Carey Terrance, as well as winning the pick swap is amazing work by Chris Drury. Obviously, I want Kreider on the Rangers. Growing up as a lifelong Rangers fan, Kreider was a name I always knew, and it was sad to see him being traded. But, hockey is a ruthless industry. Especially in a market like New York, where winning is always expected, this move had to be done in order for the Rangers to get some more youth into their system.

Adding Carey Terrance helps immensely. Drafted 59th overall in 2023 by the Ducks, Terrance has had an up-and-down Ontario Hockey League (OHL) career with the Erie Otters. Known as a high-end skater, Terrance actually has a very similar build to Kreider. Both are amazing skaters, both record more goals than assists, and both are coming off of disappointing seasons with their respective teams. In 45 OHL games this past season with the Otters, Terrance had just 20 goals and 19 assists for 39 points, which is a step behind the 29-goal, 52-point output he had the season prior, in which he played 56 games. At 6-foot-1, and 186 pounds, Terrance can definitely put some more weight on, and next year I expect him to play a full season with the American Hockey League’s Hartford Wolf Pack, where he can develop into an extremely solid center.

The Rangers can go a lot of ways with their third-round pick. Since they are trying to rebuild on the fly in order to not waste their star players’ primes, they can use this pick and their second-rounder to trade up to the first round, or they can use this pick and their own third-rounder pick to select some young talents.

I have my eye on Gustav Hillstrom, who had a solid season in Sweden playing in the Swedish Hockey League and in the J20 Nationell as a center, as well as Quinn Beauchesne, who is a steady defender for the Guelph Storm of the OHL. I’m giving them a grade of an A, because they didn’t retain any of Kreider’s salary, they got a very solid prospect who can be a solid piece in a few years, and they exchanged a fourth rounder for a third rounder in this upcoming draft. I think Rangers general manager Chris Drury had a difficult decision to make, and he didn’t let sentimentality get in the way of building a winning team.