Kreider isn’t a “unicorn.” Every player is expendable. Despite his inconsistencies, he still scored 28 goals last season on a bad team. Which is why, me included, some of us want to see what he does with this roster this season with his $4.6 million cap hit.
It shouldn't matter what he does. Kreider shouldn't be in our long term plans. Not with Panarin on the roster plus all the winger prospects we have.
I’ve already made this point in multiple threads. If Marc Staal AND Brendan Smith are here on opening night and Kreider isn’t, specifically for cap reasons, and they needed to “dump him” to get under for whatever the return is, it’s dumb. He makes $4.6 million in his final season. If they trade a top-six forward before unloading the dead weight, via buy out or, in Smith’s case, attaching a draft pick/prospect in a trade, they are essentially making this season a much more uphill battle.
Staal and Smith are contracts we likely can't move. Staal has a full NMC, and Smith has negative value. If they're on the roster next season it's because we're stuck with them. Kreider on the other hand does have value.
Look at the dumb contract Hayes got. Kreider will get around that.
They absolutely can make the playoffs as constructed this season. Trading Kreider is way different than trading Hayes/Zucc. Last year’s team was never going anywhere. This year, we are going to get a significant look at just how much further we came along in regard to reaching the Cup goal. If the Rangers don’t take advantage of playing guys like Zibanejad/Kreider with the cap hits they have and trying to take step forwards with the kids on ELCs, they’re going to be the Winnipeg Jets AKA where everything comes together for that one fruitful season, and that’s that. Then... everybody needs to get paid, and when you accumulate so many assets, they all can’t get paid.
This years team might finish lower than last years team. You're concerned about making the playoffs, where my biggest concern is seeing some type of forward development with our young guns. That's the only thing that matters next year. Progress and growth for our prospects.
There's a reason JD and Gorton have continuously preached patience, patience, and more patience.
At this point, moving Kreider for a 2nd and a prospect or a first doesn’t move the needle for me, at all. It won’t move the needle for the team next season either. Kreider is that rare case where he is way too talented not to see what he can do with a vastly improved roster. BTW, he is absolutely NOT Ryan Callahan. Two entirely different players. People cried about Callahan because he was the “captain” and felt like that was bad juju. There is no guarantee Kreider ages well.... but there is also no guarantee everybody is 100% wrong on that and he remains consistent through his early 30s. Every player is different. If he gets traded and churns out 4/5 straight 60-point seasons while possibly playing for a contender, this forum won’t stop crying about it.
Like everything, it’s a calculated risk. They should retain him until the trade deadline. If they’re in the midst of a postseason return, keep him aboard.
You want to talk about calculated risks? What if CK gets injured this season? What if he's hurt during the deadline? We lose a prime asset and let him walk for nothing.
As talented as you claim Kreider is, tell me when he has taken control of games? When has he been that guy that teams prioritize shutting down in order to win?
I didn't want Panarin, but he's at least a game breaker. He's talented enough where he can change the flow of a game. He's talented enough where he can makes his linemates better.
My Callahan comment wasn't so much about his play on the ice. It's more about people getting attached to players. The people here who whined about Callahan getting moved would have gladly offered him the contract Tampa did. Remind me what Callahan accomplished in Tampa? They regretted that contract immediately and we knew how Callahan was going to break down. But even if he didn't, he never would have been worth that much money.
Neither will CK.