While there’s a strong possibility perhaps more than 50% that the New York Rangers will trade veteran forward Chris Kreider this offseason, there remains a chance he stays with the team. Kreider, 34, is the longest-serving player on the current roster, but sentimentality may not outweigh practical considerations.
From a business standpoint, it might make the most sense for general manager Chris Drury to move on from Kreider, especially since he was included in a trade availability memo sent to other NHL teams back in November.
Last week, Forever Blueshirts laid out the arguments in favor of trading Kreider. However, let’s consider what the Rangers’ offseason could look like if they decide to keep him.
Kreider carries a $6.5 million cap hit through the 2026-27 season. If he stays, the team will have around $8.42 million in cap space to manage the rest of their offseason moves. A large portion if not all of that cap room will likely be needed to re-sign key restricted free agents like K’Andre Miller, Will Cuylle, Matt Rempe, and Adam Edstrom.
Other RFAs, such as Zac Jones and Arthur Kaliyev, may find it difficult to secure new deals given the tight budget and the priorities ahead of them.
Although the NHL salary cap will rise by $7.5 million to a new total of $95.5 million, much of that increase has already been allocated. Extensions for Igor Shesterkin, Alexis Lafreniere, Will Borgen, Urho Vaakanainen, and Juuso Parssinen will all begin to count against the cap next season, leaving little breathing room for further signings.
