No one could’ve seen this kind of collapse coming from a New York Rangers team that won the Presidents’ Trophy and reached the Eastern Conference Final just a year ago. But the 2024-25 season has been a stunning reversal of fortune. Despite management’s attempts to patch things up and stay competitive, the team never found its rhythm, and morale never recovered.
Among those who’ve faded most noticeably is veteran power forward. The longest-tenured Ranger—who debuted at Madison Square Garden straight out of Boston College 13 years ago—has seen his production fall off a cliff, going from 39 goals and 75 points last season to just 20 goals and 25 points this year. A major factor in his drop-off has been the Rangers’ power play, which has plummeted from fourth in the league to 27th. Kreider, known as one of the NHL’s premier net-front presences, has made a career out of tipping pucks and pouncing on rebounds. Without that production, the 33-year-old has largely disappeared.
But it’s not just his numbers—it’s his presence. Kreider has become almost invisible on the ice. According to New York Post columnist Larry Brooks, Kreider was included in GM Chris Drury’s leaguewide trade memo back in December, around the same time the team began moving core players like captain Jacob Trouba. Brooks speculates that once the memo leaked, Kreider’s play declined even further—perhaps intentionally—to scare off potential suitors.
Brooks believes the writing is on the wall: the Rangers are ready to move on.
“It is time,” Brooks wrote. “The marriage has reached its end. Alienation of affection, perhaps? We all know they are already sleeping in separate bedrooms.”
The situation wasn’t helped by reports of a healthy scratch and Kreider’s silence on the matter. In fact, he’s remained largely quiet throughout the season—though not entirely. Not long after the memo leaked, Kreider confided to a small group of reporters that he’s been battling chronic lower back issues, which may explain some of his struggles.
Still, after years of loyal service and postseason heroics, it appears the end of an era in New York is near.