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New York Rangers make surprising decision with Chris Kreider following his unexpected benching

Originally posted on NY Rangers Insider
By Hunter Bowman | Last updated Dec 30, 2024 1:12 AM ET

New York Rangers make a surprising decision with their veteran forward as it seems like it was only a one-time thing to healthy scratch Chris Kreider.

In Chris Kreider's first game back after being benched he managed to record 18:39 minutes of ice time, but still remained pointless during that game.

Over the last two games, Kreider played just 16:11 minutes and 15:48 minutes, respectively, so it's appears that head coach Peter Laviolette is not trying to diminish his role with the Rangers, but to only send a message.

When he was asked about getting scratched, Kreider didn't feel the need to express his frustration about the situation, but admitted that he could ultimately take this as a lesson and build off it.

Rangers general manager Chris Drury specifically mentioned Kreider's name in a league-wide memo about a month ago, as he was desperately looking to shake up his roster.

However, that memo has only made things worse for the Rangers and sent the team into an unbreakable rut that they can't seem to overcome, as they took another embarrassing 6-2 loss in their return against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The 33-year-old forward has recorded 11 goals, one assist and 12 points in 31 games while averaging 17:28 minutes this season.

This article first appeared on NY Rangers Insider and was syndicated with permission.

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