Following a disappointing 2024-25 season, the New York Rangers are initiating significant roster changes. They have completed a trade sending veteran scoring winger Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks, a team currently in a rebuilding phase but hoping to make substantial progress in the upcoming 2025-26 season.
As part of the transaction, the Rangers are moving Kreider to the Ducks in exchange for prospect forward Carey Terrance. The deal also includes a swap of mid-round draft selections between the two clubs.
During his 13 seasons with the New York franchise, Kreider established himself as a key figure, climbing high in the team`s all-time records. He ranks third in career goals with 326 and holds the top spot for career playoff goals with 48. Notably, from 2021 to 2024, Kreider defied typical aging trends, scoring 127 goals, which placed him seventh among all NHL players over that three-year period.
However, Kreider experienced a sharp decline in performance last season. At 33 years old, he recorded just 22 goals and totaled only 30 points across 68 games. Looking to alter the team`s composition this offseason, Rangers General Manager Chris Drury made the decision to part ways with Kreider and his $6.5 million annual salary cap hit, which remains on the books for the next two seasons.
Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks have been struggling to find their footing, having not qualified for the playoffs since 2018. Their rebuild has been a drawn-out process. General Manager Pat Verbeek is reportedly aiming to accelerate this transition as more of the team`s prospects reach the NHL level. However, questions remain about whether acquiring Kreider was the most effective strategy to achieve this goal.
Let`s examine the details and potential outcomes for each team involved in this trade, acknowledging that a definitive assessment can only truly be made several years down the line.
The Trade Details
Anaheim Ducks Receive:
- LW Chris Kreider
- 2025 fourth-round draft pick
New York Rangers Receive:
- C Carey Terrance
- 2025 third-round draft pick
Trade Grades
Anaheim Ducks
Not only have the Ducks missed the postseason for the past seven consecutive seasons, but they have also failed to finish with a winning record during that entire span. The upside to these prolonged struggles has been Anaheim`s ability to accumulate high-value draft selections, significantly boosting their prospect pool. This past season, several of these young players began to show promise, including Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger, and Pavel Mintyukov.
These developing players require support and veteran presence, which is likely why Verbeek targeted Kreider at what appears to be a relatively low acquisition cost. However, there is room to question the efficiency of this resource allocation for the Ducks. Kreider is now 34 years old and is coming off what was arguably the worst full season of his professional career. Beyond his reduced offensive output, his performance at five-on-five play was also underwhelming. It`s uncertain how much better Anaheim will genuinely be with Kreider in the lineup. While he might contribute positively on the power play, his overall impact outside of special teams appears limited.
The $6.5 million salary cap hit for Kreider isn`t a major impediment for the Ducks given their substantial cap space (over $32 million available), but it still represents an opportunity cost. Taking on his salary makes pursuing other avenues for improvement, such as significant free-agent signings or aggressive trade market moves, slightly more challenging.
It`s difficult to clearly discern Anaheim`s long-term strategic vision with this particular move. Kreider is a player clearly past his prime, and it`s debatable how much he can truly elevate this roster`s performance. Targeting younger players entering or currently in their peak performance years might have seemed like a more logical approach for a rebuilding team. While a bounce-back season under coach Joel Quenneville is possible, Kreider is definitively not a long-term solution. The saving grace for Anaheim is that the cost to acquire him wasn`t high.
Grade — C
New York Rangers
Chris Drury`s primary objective was to free up salary cap space and move a veteran player whose performance was trending downwards. In this regard, the mission was accomplished. The Rangers were facing cap constraints and couldn`t realistically bring back the exact same roster after their season concluded, making Kreider a prime candidate for a trade. New York now possesses increased financial flexibility to potentially revamp the team under new head coach Mike Sullivan.
Regarding the return for Kreider, The Athletic`s draft expert Scott Wheeler ranked Carey Terrance as the eighth-best prospect in Anaheim`s system last summer. During the 2024-25 season, Terrance registered 20 goals and 19 assists, totaling 39 points in 45 games played for the OHL`s Erie Otters. If Terrance develops to the point of making a significant impact for the Rangers at the NHL level, it would be a valuable bonus from this salary-shedding move.
Essentially, this trade served as a salary dump for the Rangers. In return, they acquired a mid-tier prospect and secured a more favorable draft pick swap (moving up to the third round from the fourth). This represents a reasonably successful outcome for Drury`s goals. The key now is how wisely he utilizes the newly available salary cap space and the added asset.
Grade — B+
