In some really unfortunate news, Chris Kreider was hurt in the second period of the New York Rangers versus the Detroit Red Wings game on Saturday. There isn’t an update as to the severity of the injury, but if serious, it potentially changes the outlook of this season’s trade deadline.
First, our hope is that Kreider is not seriously injured. You never want to see anyone hurt and when his teammate Mika Zibanejad accidentally hit him in the head when trying to jump over him during a play, that’s a crappy way to go down. The Rangers announced he would not return to the lineup Saturday but there isn’t much in the way of news since the incident.
How Does This Affect the Rangers Plans?
Without trying to get too ahead of ourselves, if Kreider’s injury is anything more than a mild bump, the outlook of this year’s trade deadline might have dramatically changed.
Kreider was the hottest potential rental at this year’s trade deadline and if the Rangers don’t have him available to shop around the NHL, in an attempt to get the best possible return, they can either re-sign him or not, leaving the option open he leaves for nothing.
Clearly, if Kreider is seriously hurt, or even if there are questions as to how badly he’s hurt, it will change the market of teams wanting to trade for him and count on him as the piece that gives them the best chances to win in the playoffs. Teams and opposing GM’s will be watching closely as news of Kreider’s injury are revealed.
If serious, it becomes time to move to Plan B and that makes players like Tyler Toffoli, Wayne Simmonds, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Andreas Athanasiou much more attractive. And, if they’re the options because Kreider is off the table, the asking price by the GM’s who own their rights shot way up.
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