The New York Rangers continue to try anything and everything to correct a terrible first few months of the 2024-25 season.
After dropping their seventh game in December to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, head coach Peter Laviolette’s latest attempt at sparking his team is healthy scratching its longest-tenured player, Chris Kreider.
Kreider is sitting out of a Metropolitan Division rivalry matchup against the New Jersey Devils on Monday afternoon. The 33-year-old winger is tied for second on the team in goal-scoring but has just 12 points (11g, 1a) through 30 games despite playing within the team’s top-six forward group and first power play unit.
Per USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano, Johnny Brodzinski was given Kreider’s spot in the lineup.
#NYR warmup rushes from Prudential Center:
Panarin – Trocheck – Laf
Berard – Zib – Smith
Cuylle – Chytil – Brodzinski
Edstrom – Carrick – VeseyLindgren – Fox
Jones – Schneider
Urho – BorgenQuick
Igor— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) December 23, 2024
The Rangers have struggled mightily with Kreider on the ice at five-on-five this season, seeing just 45.2 percent of the shot attempts, 43.5 percent of the expected goals, 46.2 percent of the scoring chances, and 40.4 percent of the high-danger chances during his minutes. Only two of his 11 goals have come at five-on-five, and New York has been outscored 13-9 with him on the ice.
Kreider’s future with the club has been in doubt since Rangers general manager Chris Drury seemingly made it public knowledge that he was looking to trade Kreider and Jacob Trouba in late November. Trouba, the club’s captain, was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks in early December, and Kreider, one of the team’s alternate captains, could soon follow him out the door.
The NHL is currently in a roster freeze period for the holidays through December 27, so Kreider cannot be moved until Saturday if that’s the route the Rangers choose. New York recently traded forward Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken just days after he was also healthy scratched by Laviolette.
New York has lost 12 of their last 16 games and fallen to sixth in the Metro Division. They are also five points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
