NHL Trade Grades for Rangers-Ducks Chris Kreider Deal

The NHL has yet to anoint a Stanley Cup champion, but the 2025 offseason is already underway.

The New York Rangers and Anaheim Ducks have kicked things off by moving Chris Kreider to Orange County in exchange for prospect Carey Terrance and a swap of third- and fourth-round picks.

The Ducks ended the 2024-25 season with some momentum and aspire to be competitive next season. How much game does Kreider still have left in the tank and can he help his new team reach the next level?

For the Rangers, it's an expected but unceremonious departure for a franchise icon. What are the implications for their broader offseason goals? And what does Terrance bring to the table?

Let's analyze the trade for both teams and assign grades.

Anaheim Ducks

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One should account for physical decline when projecting Kreider's outlook.

He's 34 years old and was plagued by multiple nagging health issues last season, but 2024-25 is not a fair representation of what he is capable of.

Kreider may no longer have the elite speed he did in his prime, but he remains one of the better skating wingers in the NHL. He is quick to pressure the points and to accelerate, making him a major rush threat. He is also a strong finisher who has a hard wrist shot and shoots accurately.

It's no coincidence that the Rangers' usually lethal power play suffered a significant decline in efficiency last season, as Kreider was unavailable or not at full strength.

As recently as 2023-24, he was arguably the best net-front player in the NHL. A 6'3" block of tungsten, even bigger NHL defensemen struggle to box him out above the crease. He also has impeccable timing in his movements, which allows him to screen the goaltender or open himself up for a deflection or redirection.

Just two seasons removed from a 39-goal campaign and a memorable playoff run, Kreider may be following a trajectory similar to Brad Marchand; maybe age and health have reduced him from bona fide All-Star status, but he's still a top-six winger who can dominate in favorable matchups and be the X-factor in the playoffs for a contending team.

Given that projection, I'm a little surprised Anaheim is his destination. It's unlikely Kreider alone will take the Ducks to the next level and they are already sitting on some aging players with high cap hits who haven't delivered: Jacob Trouba, Ryan Strome, Alex Killorn among them.

Kreider makes the Ducks a better team and, if his health issues are behind him, he should be able to provide value at or close to his $6.5 million cap hit through 2027. For the cost of a depth prospect and a pick swap, it's a sensible gamble.

Grade: B

New York Rangers

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Perhaps having learned some lessons from the past summer’s Trouba circus, the Rangers worked proactively with Kreider to find an amenable destination and they’re ripping off the band-aid early in the offseason.

There are understandable reasons why New York is moving on from Kreider. The relationship between team and player soured and, even though he didn’t wear the "C" on his jersey, he was, in many ways, the most important and influential player in the organization.

Carey Terrance, who turned 20 in May, is a 2021 second-round pick. As a responsible defensive center, he is patient and won't get drawn out of position often and anticipates puck movement across the slot. 

An above-average straight-line skater, Terrance applies pressure on the forecheck and retrieves pucks behind the goal line. He has average size but is competitive, turning board battles that start as an advantage to the opposition into stalemates. 

He is a decent enough shooter, but a lack of creativity on the puck is the big question mark. If he can add some more dynamic components when carrying the puck and beating defenders, he has a chance to become a low-event center who kills penalties on a fourth, maybe third line.

The return for Kreider is pretty feeble and the main motivation, aside from changing the mix, is removing his $6.5 million cap hit this season and next. But don't get it twisted. This is not addition-by-subtraction like the Trouba and Goodrow cap dumps.

The Rangers are a worse team for having traded Kreider. There's now a big hole on the wing. They're a slow team that just got slower. They're losing a player who makes an impact on both special teams.

If this is the precursor to a bigger move for a young star player—Jason Robertson, Mitch Marner, JJ Peterka—the ends will justify the means for New York general manager Chris Drury.

Otherwise, a depth prospect and a 15-pick elevation in the middle of the draft are scraps for a player who scored 39 goals just two seasons ago.

Grade: C+