Chris Kreider, Rangers Agree to 7-Year Contract Extension Amid Trade Rumors

The New York Rangers announced Monday they have signed left wing Chris Kreider to a seven-year extension:

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the deal will pay the 28-year-old about $6.5 million per year.

Pierre LeBrun of TSN provided more contract details:

Rick Carpiniello of The Athletic first reported the extension, noting this takes him out of potential trades ahead of Monday's deadline.

Kreider has spent his entire eight-year career with the Rangers and already has over 20 assists in 2019-20 for the seventh straight season. He also has 24 goals entering Monday, just short of his career high of 28.

With Kreider initially heading into free agency in the offseason and the team struggling in the first half of the season, New York appeared ready to deal away the talented player.

According to Frank Seravalli of TSN, the player was No. 1 on the Trade Bait Board with the Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins emerging as front-runners on a potential deal. However, the team decided to hold on to the veteran and stay competitive this season.

Though the Rangers are still just seventh out of eight teams in the Metropolitan division entering Monday, they have won seven of the last eight games and are 10-3-0 since the All-Star break.

Retaining a key player who ranks fourth on the team with 45 points could potentially energize the squad for the remainder of the year.

Considering the length of the deal, New York also clearly feels Kreider should be a player to build around going forward.