The Rangers saw something special in Chris Kreider when they picked him 19th overall in the 2009 NHL Draft. It didn’t take long for him to prove them right. When he stepped onto the ice during the 2012 playoffs, he didn’t look like a rookie. In that season, he scored 7 points in the playoffs. It included 5 crucial goals. So, from his debut, he became a fixture in nearly every chapter of the team. He was also there when they reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. He stuck around during the rough, rebuilding years that followed. And when the team found its footing again in the 2020s, Kreider remained a core leader.

However, just a few weeks ago, the Rangers parted ways with a player. Chris Kreider has been the longest-tenured Ranger and a fan favorite for over a decade. But for a third-round pick and young prospect Carey Terrance, he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks. Recalling the same, his ex-Rangers teammates, who are currently with the Ducks, have described a memorable anecdote about Kreider’s trade. 

So, Chris Kreider didn’t walk into an unfamiliar locker room in Anaheim. The Ducks’ roster already includes a few of his old Rangers running mates like Jacob Trouba, Frank Vatrano, and Ryan Strome. It was like a get-together moment for old friends. Having familiar faces around certainly helped make the decision easier. In fact, Strome couldn’t resist teasing Kreider during the process, joking that he kept bugging him to just sign the papers already and make it official.

On July 22, as per the report of The Athletic, Ryan Strome shared his thoughts on Kreider’s trade. “He’s a very proud Ranger and one of the most accomplished Rangers in history. As much as I feel like he needed a bit of a fresh start and a new challenge, I also think it was probably not the easiest thing to do.”

Interestingly, Strome played with Kreider in New York from 2018-22. He formed a brotherly bond with Kreider. Acknowledging Kreider’s experience and the style of play, Strome further added, “When you’re dealing with a player of that pedigree, and I think (with) the way some of the other exits of the Rangers’ veterans in the previous years have gone, they wanted to let Chris handle it the way he wanted to handle it. I think he kind of steered the ship a little bit.” 

Chris has been third in all-time goals. He has tied power-play tallies. And he has also been the outright leader in playoff goals in Rangers’ history. Hence, after being with the Rangers for more than a decade, his departure felt like the end of a chapter for the team and the fans. But since the ex-Rangers star Chris Kreider came to the city of Anaheim, he is dealing with some changes.

Chris Kreider is embracing the trade with some new changes

Kreider has spent his entire professional career rooted in the Northeast. For years, Chris was a mainstay in the pressure-cooker environment of New York, but, while he hasn’t completely left the East Coast just yet, the wheels are already turning. His fresh start in Anaheim was really taking shape.

Talking about this change, the former Ranger said, “There are brush points where it’s kind of like, ‘this is happening, for sure.’” He was giving an interview to The Athletic of The New York Times. He also added, “Like, after Anaheim shipped out my new equipment. Just jumping on the ice with Ducks stuff on, wearing the new colors. And people coming up to me and being like, ‘you look weird,’ it all started to feel real.” However, he also thanked his former team. 

Chris Kreider has said that he is grateful for how he was treated by the New York Rangers. The 34-year-old is currently under the same contract he signed in 2020. It was a 7-year, $45,500,000 contract through the 2026 season. So, this could be his last season under this contract.