ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chris Kreider has known for months that his long, decorated tenure with the New York Rangers would probably end this summer.
While the close of his run on Broadway is undeniably bittersweet, he's also thrilled to raise the curtain on his next chapter on the West Coast.
The Anaheim Ducks acquired Kreider and a fourth-round pick from the Rangers on Thursday in a trade for prospect Carey Terrance and a third-round pick.
Kreider waived his no-trade clause to join former New York teammates Jacob Trouba, Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano in Southern California after Rangers general manager Chris Drury decided he needed salary cap space more than Kreider, the left wing who played a key role in New York for more than a decade.
The 34-year-old Kreider, who was the Rangers' longest-tenured player, didn't deny a bit of melancholy about his New York exit.
“I think I’ve probably gone through the spectrum – anger, sadness, grief, whatever you want to call it,” Kreider said. “But I keep on arriving at gratitude for how I was treated, the opportunities I was given, for the connections I was able to make, the relationships, the friendships, the experiences that I was able to have. Playing in front of that fan base at that arena, playing in some of the games that I was able to play in, stuff that is so memorable and means so much to me, and stuff that I’ll take with me the rest of my life.”
He's taking it to Orange County, where he'll join a team that appears ready to emerge from a lengthy rebuilding phase under general manager Pat Verbeek. The Ducks have missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, but they made a 20-point improvement in the standings this spring before hiring three-time Stanley Cup-winning coach Joel Quenneville last month to lead a roster impressively stocked with blue-chip talent.
“Having played with some of those guys, it’s a team that I’ve followed probably closer than other teams out West, just checking in on them, seeing how things are going," Kreider said. “It’s an incredibly deep roster. They’ve got some fantastic vets with great track records of winning, in the prime of their careers, and they’ve got a wealth of young talent, of speed, of size, of skill. ... There’s so much potential there. I think it’s a really exciting time to be a Duck.”
Kreider already works out with Ducks forward Trevor Zegras, the ebullient Westchester County native Kreider described as “born caffeinated.” Kreider also praised young Ducks centers Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish, calling Carlsson “a special player ... every team doesn't have a player like that.”
Kreider chose Anaheim for his exit from the only NHL franchise and town he has ever known. Although Kreider was born and raised north of Boston, he said New York City turned him into who he is today.
The Rangers drafted him 19th overall in 2009, and he debuted during the 2012 playoffs. He became a franchise mainstay during New York’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014.
The Rangers made 10 postseason appearances during Kreider’s parts of 14 seasons with the team, and he became the Original Six franchise’s career leader in playoff goals. Only Hall of Famers Rod Gilbert and Jean Ratelle have scored more goals in a Rangers sweater than Kreider, a two-time All-Star.
“I grew up in the city of New York,” said Kreider, who has 10 career 20-goal seasons. “I did. I spent my childhood in the Boston area, I went to school there, but I feel like I came into adulthood in the city of New York, became a man, matured, grew up and started a family. So yeah, a lot of emotions, but at the end of the day, just so much gratitude and appreciation.”
Drury is committed to shaking up his roster after New York missed the playoffs this spring following a run to the 2024 Eastern Conference final. Drury also traded Trouba, his captain, to the Ducks last December — and Trouba was decidedly less pleased than Kreider by the way his exit was handled by the Rangers.
Kreider scored just 22 goals last season while slowed by injuries, and he has two years left on his contract carrying an annual salary cap hit of $6.5 million. While Drury saw that commitment as a weight on his retooling project, Verbeek sees it as a fair price for Kreider's abilities and leadership.
“We took a big jump in the standings last year, and I think there’s a realization that the group is ready to take another step,” Verbeek said. "I think it’s intriguing for a player of Chris Kreider’s ability to come and play with really good young players that we have, and to not only lead them but to be a part of their growth. ... He's going to be able to do a lot of things for our young centermen, but our young centermen are going to be able to do a lot of things for him as well."
Verbeek praised Kreider's strength and net presence while lauding his skills on special teams, where Anaheim has struggled for years.
Kreider said he is already at work during his longest offseason in six years to make sure he's healthy, strong and ready for the Ducks' return to contention.
“To come into a group like the Anaheim Mighty Ducks — or is it just the Ducks now?” Kreider asked with a grin. “We'll keep the Mighty in there.”
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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in Sunrise, Florida, contributed to this report.
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Greg Beacham, The Associated Press
