Welcome to an off-season segment for your New York Rangers! It ultimately did not end the way the organization wanted it to, but there was a lot of jog and excitement to say the least. It is summer time for the Rangers, but that does not mean we cannot reminisce on the season. Today we will look at a Chris Kreider offseason grade. Check out the other New York Rangers offseason grades.
New York Rangers Offseason Grades
Report Card: Chris Kreider
It’s been a long tenure in the Big Apple. A fan favourite and a guy who many thought should be the captain, Chris Kreider is a special player. He may not be the flashiest, but he is a guy that brings a bit of everything. Primarily a power forward type of player, Kreider has been a crucial part to the teams success. He may not have had a monster regular season like last year, but he made up for it these playoffs.
The Season
One of the longest-tenured players on the roster, he has made his impacts felt. Last year was a monster season where Kreider scored 52 goals and 77 points. His 24 goals on the power play stood out the most.After signing a seven-year deal in 2020, he displays this monster season not long after. Would he go on to replicate that production? No. But Kreider was still an important piece to the Rangers puzzle.
Kreider finished second on the team on goals this season (36). This was three shy of tying Mika Zibanejad for the team lead. In terms of being opportunistic, Kreider led all players on the roster in expected goals. He also had an xGoals percentage of 58.9. Even better, Kreider had an on-ice goals percentage of 67%. Good things happen when he is out there. However, he was not the same player on the power play. This season he only had 16 points and seven goals. Not the worst thing in the world, last season was just him on another level. Kreider brings everything to the table. He is physical (128 hits), blocks shots (24), and drew 22 penalties. Maybe last year was not sustainable every year, but he still was a high-impact player all over the ice for the Rangers.
The Playoffs
This New York Rangers offseason grade deserves an A+ just for this part of the season. Chris Kreider was not only the most noticeable but by far the best player in the series for the Rangers. The first two games was all Rangers in the series, and Kreider stole the show. Silencing the New Jersey Devils crowd, Kreider scored four goals in the first two games. In addition, they all came on the power play. Kreider set up real estate right in front of Vitek Vanecek. New Jersey had no answers for him. The production slowed down, but Kreider did score the first goal in Game 3 and then again in Game 6. Once the series came to a close, Kreider let the team in goals and points. He would also finish tied for second in assists. Kreider was the teams best player and he made his impact felt.
The best part of these playoffs for him? Kreider became the franchise leader in playoff goals. Crazy to think given the names that have worn the blue jersey.
The Verdict
This New York Rangers offseason grade is going to be high. Replicating a 52-goal season is challenging, but that is not to say the year was bad for him. Kreider followed that up with a monster postseason in just one round of play. The Rangers power forward is locked in for the long haul and will look to build off this headed into next year.
Grade: A
Main Photo: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
