Chris Kreider’s next stop could be decided by two simple things: geography and money. And for the New York Rangers, that combination looks like it has already shut the door on any reunion.
After the 2024-25 season, the Rangers traded Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks as part of Chris Drury’s continued effort to clear cap space. Now, less than a year later, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Ducks intend to place Kreider on waivers for the purpose of contract termination, which would turn him into an unrestricted free agent. Friedman also reported that Kreider only wants to join an East Coast team so he can be closer to his family.
That naturally sent Rangers fans wondering whether a return could be in play. It makes for a tempting thought, especially with what Kreider meant to the franchise over 14 seasons. He broke the team’s all-time playoff goal record with 48, sits third in regular-season goals with 326, and was part of three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and one run to the Stanley Cup Final.
But the fit in New York does not look realistic.
The biggest hurdle is the one the Rangers have been dealing with all offseason: the cap. According to PuckPedia, New York has just $995,000 in space. Unless Kreider is willing to sign for the $850,000 minimum salary, the Rangers are not going to have room for him.
And even beyond the money, the roster picture is crowded. The Rangers already landed Seattle Kraken winger Eeli Tolvanen on a one-year, $1.5 million deal after waiting out the early wave of free agency.
Tolvanen was viewed as one of the better forwards still available once the spending spree settled down. That leaves New York essentially set on the wing with Tolvanen, Alexis Lafreniere, Pavel Dorofeyev, Gabe Perreault, and Oliver Bjorkstrand in the top nine.
There is also the Drury factor. It is not clear whether the relationship was fully burned, but the general manager has a history of moving players out in a way that leaves little warmth behind. Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba both publicly criticized Drury’s approach to getting their contracts off the books.
So if Kreider is not coming back to Manhattan, where does he land? Three playoff teams make the most sense: the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Buffalo Sabres.
The Flyers are an unusual but logical possibility. They are the club whose offer sheet for Ducks center Leo Carlsson set off the chain of events that eventually put Kreider in this spot.
Anaheim matched that deal rather than accept Philadelphia’s four first-round picks, but the Ducks still had to work through a new contract for Cutter Gauthier, who scored a career-best 41 goals last season. Kreider was then viewed as a possible salary casualty.
Philadelphia has $13.78 million in cap space and could use another forward in its push for a Stanley Cup.
Boston brings a different kind of appeal. The Bruins were a playoff team last season and could use more scoring help in an Atlantic Division that does not make life easy on anybody.
Kreider also has a built-in connection there: he grew up in Massachusetts and played for Boston College. It is the cleanest homecoming on the board.
Then there is Buffalo. The Sabres ended a 14-season playoff drought last year, won the Atlantic Division, and advanced to the second round before being eliminated.
This offseason they moved on from winger Alex Tuch after it became clear he would not re-sign, and they have not replaced him. Kreider would fill that kind of hole while giving himself a chance to chase a Stanley Cup.
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