Chris Kreider played his final season with the New York Rangers in 2024–25 before being traded to the Anaheim Ducks during the summer. He had been with the Rangers for 13 seasons and played in 883 NHL games. Over that span, Kreider totaled 582 points, including 326 goals and 256 assists.
In the 2024–25 season, Kreider recorded 30 points, consisting of 22 goals and 8 assists. In the previous 2023–24 season, he had 75 points.
Kreider described his final year with the Rangers as difficult.
“Yeah, it was defensively challenging,” Kreider said. “I think we would have all liked it to have gone differently than it went, but at the end of the day, we can only learn from it. Some weird, fluky injuries I had to deal with at the worst possible moments. We are all hockey players—we all want to play through some things. It was a tough year, but all you can do is learn from it and try to be better.”
During Kreider’s tenure, the Rangers made one appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, which they lost in five games to the Los Angeles Kings.
- Chris Kreider called the 2024–25 season with the Rangers “defensively challenging” and mentioned “weird, fluky injuries” during the year.
- Kreider was traded to the Anaheim Ducks during the summer after 13 NHL seasons with the New York Rangers.
- Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek outlined Kreider’s role, citing his size, skating, and ability in front of the net as key attributes.
Rangers Management and Kreider Maintained Communication
Chris Kreider’s trade to the Anaheim Ducks followed several months of speculation. Throughout the process, Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury maintained consistent communication with Kreider and his agent, Matt Keator. According to Keator, Drury was transparent and effective in conveying information and stayed in contact as trade possibilities developed. Keator confirmed that they had been asked to provide a list of teams Kreider would consider joining, and that trade was a foreseeable outcome.
Kreider ultimately waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the move to Anaheim. According to Keator, the decision was influenced by recent organizational changes within the Ducks, including the arrival of Head Coach Joel Quenneville and the ongoing work by General Manager Pat Verbeek. These developments aligned with Kreider’s interest in joining a team focused on competing, particularly as the situation in New York no longer supported those goals.
Earlier in the season, the Ducks had also acquired Jacob Trouba, then the captain of the Rangers, in a trade that took place in November. Kreider became the second prominent Rangers player to be traded to Anaheim within a year.
Following these roster changes, futures betting odds have started to influence Anaheim’s odds. According to BetMGM, the Ducks’ Stanley Cup odds shortened from +10,000 to +9,000. The Action Network also listed the Ducks at +10,000. Chris Kreider’s MVP odds were listed at +50,000 on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Even standard game props on sites like Covers and ScoresAndOdds place his expected goal totals modestly, with lines like over 0.5 goals at +320 and under at -145, suggesting cautious expectations for production as he settles into a new team.
Verbeek Outlines Kreider’s Expected Role in Anaheim
Anaheim Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek described several reasons why the team acquired Chris Kreider. Verbeek listed Kreider’s skating ability, size, and strength as key attributes. Verbeek stated that Kreider weighs 203 pounds and referred to him as “a force in front of the net.”
Verbeek described Kreider as a strong presence in front of the net and expressed confidence that, despite a difficult season before the trade, Kreider would return to form and have a productive year with the Ducks.
Verbeek also said Kreider will serve as an example for younger players. He stated that Kreider could serve as a model for how to score in challenging situations, including scenarios common in playoff hockey and plays made close to the net, such as tip-ins and rebounds.
Kreider is expected to play on both the power play and penalty kill. Verbeek addressed both roles.
“There’s also the power play. Our power play needed a boost, and I believe he’s going to be a difficult person to defend in front of the net. He seems to have a really good ability to be able to get a loose stick, get his body in the right position to score rebounds. He’s also a very good penalty killer. That’s another area that I wanted to improve upon for our group, and I think that he’s going to be a threat to score shorthanded.”
“Obviously, the size and the reach that he has and his skating ability to be able to get to loose pucks and get them out of the zone, be able to work within our system, and how we’re going to want to kill aggressively. So I think that there are so many positives to acquiring Chris Kreider.”
Keator Says Kreider Is Using Time Off to Prepare
Kreider’s agent, Matt Keator, commented on the time Kreider has had between seasons.
“Change can be refreshing for a player and I think in Chris’s case, it’s going to be very refreshing because he has five and a half months from his last hockey game to his next hockey game. He’s utilizing the time all the time to prepare his body and mentally get ready for the season.”
Keator also compared Kreider’s situation to that of another NHL player.
“I actually use Brad Marchand as an example of a guy who change is good.”
Kreider is expected to play a top-six forward role and participate on special teams.
