Chris Kreider Waives No-Trade Clause, Set to Join Anaheim Ducks

The Chris Kreider era with the New York Rangers is coming to a close. The veteran winger was mentioned in trade rumors on Tuesday, with speculation that he could be moved to the Anaheim Ducks as early as Wednesday. On Thursday, it was announced that the deal was finally getting done.

Kreider has agreed to waive his no-trade clause and will be heading to Anaheim, according to reports from Larry Brooks of the New York Post and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Rangers are trading Kreider and a mid-round pick to the Ducks in exchange for prospect Carey Terrance and another mid-round selection. Specifically, Terrance goes to the Rangers with a third-round pick. The Ducks get Kreider and a fourth-round pick.

The Ducks will take on the full remainder of Kreider’s contract — a $6.5 million cap hit over the next two seasons — as the organization aims to spend over $14 million this offseason to reach the league’s salary cap floor.

The deal, which is pending the official trade call and final paperwork, marks the end of an emotional chapter for the Rangers. Kreider, 33, played 883 games for the Blueshirts, ranking eighth in franchise history. Drafted 19th overall in 2009, he became a staple of the team’s core through numerous playoff runs, including a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2014.

A Kreider Trade Felt Inevitable

Kreider’s name was included in a league-wide memo from Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury in November seeking trade partners. That felt like the beginning of the end of his tenure with the team. He now joins a growing list of departed Rangers veterans, including Jacob Trouba, Barclay Goodrow, Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. He’ll be reunited with Trouba in Anaheim.

For the Ducks, the move brings in a respected veteran to help guide a young core that includes Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, and Cutter Gauthier. For New York, it’s a clear signal that the franchise is pivoting and continuing to retool the roster.

An official announcement is expected later today once the trade call is complete.

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