Chris Kreider’s stay in Anaheim may already be in jeopardy.
The former Rangers winger was dealt to the Ducks after New York moved on from one of the most productive players in franchise history, sending Kreider to Anaheim for prospect Carey Terrance and a 2025 third-round pick that became Russian defenseman Artyom Gonchar. The move gave Kreider a fresh start, and he delivered in a big way: 50 points in 75 games, including 22 goals and 28 assists, while helping the Ducks reach the playoffs and win a first-round series over the Edmonton Oilers.
Now, though, Anaheim’s cap picture is getting messy fast.
The Ducks are dealing with Leo Carlsson’s offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers, a five-year deal worth $18 million annually. If Anaheim matches it, a huge chunk of its cap space gets tied up immediately. Add in Pavel Mintyukov’s five-year, $36 million extension and the looming need to pay Cutter Gauthier this summer, and the Ducks suddenly have some tough decisions to make.
On a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek may have to move one, two, or even all three of Frank Vatrano, Alex Killorn, and Kreider.
"He might have to move, he's got three guys with some degree of no trade protection. Kreider, Killorn, Vatrano.
He might have to move ore or two of them, maybe all three of them," said Friedman. "It's really going to hurt the depth of his club."
That’s the heart of the issue for Anaheim. Carlsson’s deal would make him the highest paid player in hockey, at least for now, and Gauthier is projected by AFP Analytics to land at $8.8 million per year on his next contract. With that kind of money coming due, the Ducks may have to trim from the middle of the roster just to stay flexible.
Kreider is entering the final year of his contract and carries a $6.5 million cap hit. Killorn is also in the last year of his deal at $6.25 million.
Vatrano is signed through 2027-28 at $4.57 million per season. Those are exactly the kinds of contracts Anaheim could look to move if it needs room.
But as Friedman pointed out, that kind of cleanup comes with a cost. The Ducks would be weakening their depth at a time when they’re trying to keep pace in a Pacific Division that includes the Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Los Angeles Kings, all playoff teams last season. The San Jose Sharks, too, are on the rise and have a stacked roster.
If Kreider does end up back on the market, either via trade or in free agency next summer, the Rangers would be a natural team to watch. They need help up front, but a reunion would come with its own awkward logic after New York already moved him once. A return through free agency would make more sense than another trade.
For now, Kreider’s future in Anaheim looks anything but settled.
In Other News...
The Rangers May Be Losing A Contract Edge They Counted On
Leo Carlssons new Anaheim Ducks contract is the latest reminder of how aggressively teams have used structure to get deals across the finish line. The Flyers set the market with an offer sheet that pushed the total value to a record $18 million cap hit, and the contract is loaded with signing bonuses totaling $83.5 million. It is the kind of arrangement that has long made front offices pay attention, especially around the leagues bigger-market clubs that have leaned on bonus-heavy deals to sell security and flexibility.
For the Rangers, the bigger issue is not what this contract looks like today, but how much longer that model will remain available. Under the next CBA, signing bonuses will be capped at 60 percent of a players contract beginning in the 2026-27 season, which could narrow one of the tools teams have used to shape high-end extensions. New York has been among the clubs most willing to work that lane, and the list of recent contracts built with that approach only underscores what could be changing for them going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Fans Have Every Reason To Fear This Franchise-Altering Possibility
The Rangers uneven season has already forced a hard look at where the franchise is headed, and the latest round of speculation only adds to the unease. Reports have suggested one of the teams cornerstone defensemen could at least weigh his future if the direction does not improve, a possibility that would land hard in a market that expects contention and stability from its best players.
For now, it remains just that, speculation. He is under contract through the 2028-29 season and has a no-movement clause, so any real change would have to come with his full say-so, and his public comments about the clubs retooling have been measured rather than definitive. Still, the fact that this conversation is even happening says plenty about how fragile the mood can get when a season goes sideways. [Read more 🡒]
Bernie Nicholls Had A Short Rangers Run Fans Still Remember
Bernie Nicholls did not stay long in New York, but the Rangers got plenty out of the veteran center in the spring of 1990. Acquired from the Kings during the 1989-90 season, Nicholls gave the club a needed offensive boost and helped push it into the playoffs, a brief stint that still stands out for how quickly he fit into a lineup trying to make a run.
Nicholls had already built a reputation as one of the leagues more productive scorers by the time he arrived in Manhattan, and his Rangers stop was part of a career that wound through some major NHL moments. He would later be moved again in another significant deal involving Mark Messier, but for Rangers fans, the memory is of a short, useful stretch that made a real difference when it mattered most. [Read more 🡒]