The latest on Chris Kreider is that New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton and Kreider’s agent Matt Keator are going to talk this weekend about the big winger’s future with the team, and attempt to find some common ground on a contract extension that would keep him in New York.
NBC Sports analyst Pierre McGuire confirmed that on TSN 690 in Montreal on Thursday afternoon, and that could put a big crimp in the trade deadline plans for the Bruins if it comes to fruition.
“I talked to his agent. He’s in New York right now trying to get a deal done with Jeff Gorton, Chris Drury and John Davidson. Kreider wants to stay in New York. But if they have to trade him because they can’t come to a deal, there will be no shortage of suitors for him,” said McGuire on the Mitch Melnick in the Afternoon Show. “St. Louis is really interested. Boston is really interested. I wouldn’t be surprised if Colorado is really interested. There will be no shortage of suitors.”
LIVE stream the Celtics all season and get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My Teams App.
As reported by NBC Sports Boston weeks ago, the 28-year-old left winger is the top trade target for the Bruins leading up to the deadline while on pace for 30 goals and 59 points this season for a Blueshirts team languishing near the bottom of the Metro Division.
The 6-foot-3, 218-pounder gives the Rangers the ideal size, blazing skating speed and ability to finish around the net that the Bruins desperately need in their top-6, and it would give the Bruins a player in Kreider who also packs a little nasty in his game from time to time as well.
He’s topped 20 goals four times during his career and surpassed 50 points a couple of times. Even better, the size, strength and skill combined with his background as an Eastern Conference player, a local kid and a former Boston College standout check many of the boxes for a Bruins scouting staff that seems to collect players just like Kreider on their NHL roster.
The one obvious drawback with Kreider is that his natural position is left wing, where the Bruins already have Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk on the top-6, but he would bring a different and much-needed element to that forward group given his style of play.
Boston Bruins
Find the latest Boston Bruins news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
It might push DeBrusk down to the third line and force guys like Danton Heinen and Anders Bjork to potentially play on the right side rather than the left, but it would also undoubtedly strengthen their depth and overall quality of attack, which will be needed in the postseason.
Obviously, the danger of Kreider re-signing with the Rangers has been a possibility all the time given that the Blueshirts were the team that drafted and developed the Massachusetts native. That kind of development would leave the Bruins scouring for second and third option-type players like Tyler Toffoli, Josh Anderson and Kyle Palmieri.
The other drawback for the Bruins is that Kreider will be in high demand as one of the top forwards on the rental market given his skill set, and that could mean the B’s will have to part with a first-round pick and a good prospect for the rental player.
The Rangers are looking for a Kevin Hayes-type return for Kreider and that would mean a first-round pick and a B’s prospect like Trent Frederic, Anders Bjork or Jeremy Lauzon.