The Rangers head out to Canada to kick off a three-game road trip beginning Saturday in Vancouver. The win over Pittsburgh was more of a relief than anything else after the team blew a two-goal lead, but now they need to follow it up with solid play outside of MSG. Heading into the three games, one big question is what to do with Chris Kreider.
When Kreider first was called up for the 2012 playoffs, in many circles, he was viewed as the savior. His play, especially against Washington, raised hopes and expectations that likely never could be met. Kreider in essence was told to just go up and down the wing and hard to the net and not worry about the ancillary pieces of the game, such as defense and off-the-puck play. The 2012-13 lockout resulted in him starting the year at Hartford, which should have helped him adjust completely the pro game. Unfortunately, that proved not to be the case, as some the warts we still see were evident there, resulting in him seeing third and fourth line duty when promoted.
Some of the arguments for Kreider was that he was getting better in the non-scoring aspects of the game and former coach John Tortorella's system didn't play to his strengths. With coach Alain Vigneault coming in, the slate was expected to be clean. Kreider didn't initially take advantage of the opportunity afforded him, as he was sent back to Hartford to kick off 2013-14. With New York floundering, Kreider was promoted, and had moments in scoring 17 goals with 20 assists while playing on a line with Derek Stepan and Rick Nash. Those moments though teased as what should be forthcoming consistently, as brain cramps while on the ice still reigned.
For those of us who expected him to take the next step this year, that has not been the case. We can look at advanced numbers such as Corsi and Fenwick and Quality of Competition and puck possession etc. but those can be spun either way. You can argue that his numbers are propped up from who is playing with, making them look worse. Or say that while they look bad, his presence can be felt while on the ice and coupled with his low shooting percentage, a bump should be expected. This is where the eye test comes in. Does what we see support or contradict the numbers?
We see the mental mistakes still repeating. At this point, his hockey IQ should be more advance, but yet we see the same issues propping up over and over. Those could possibly be mildly overlooked if he was producing, but he hasn't score a goal in 11 games, notching just three assists in that stretch. In addition, other than November 23 when he had seven shots on goal, in the other 10 games, he has just 12, including a pair of contests where he failed to register a shot. That gets to effort, which has been sporadic at best. Maybe the drought is weighing on him, but given his speed and size, he could make a difference even when he isn't scoring. Lately, he has been more of a hindrance than a help on the ice.
Part of his issues could be explained, as mdw points out, due to the passing of his grandfather, which may be affecting on- and off-the-ice. In addition, his size has resulted in penalties, which could be causing a more timid approach than we would like or are used to, as he tries to avoid calls. These are possible excuses but may only explain a portion of his struggles.
Kreider missed Monday's game with neck spasms but has returned to practice. As it looked like he is healthy enough to play, this is how I projected the lineup.
Nash-Brassard-Zucc Miller-Stepan-St. Louis Hagelin-Hayes-Kreider Fast-Moore-Stempniak
As I wrote the other day, I am keeping Miller on the second line, since he showed some chemistry there Monday. Plus, Kreider might benefit from being reunited with Hayes and skating on the other side of Hagelin. This would mean Tanner Glass would be scratched, which I know upsets a ton of you.
Now we hear Kreider could be a healthy scratch. So not only would he lose his place in the top-six, he would lose his spot in the lineup to Glass, as Anthony Duclair is now on Team Canada for the WJC. The game that Kreider missed Monday should have given him a good vantage point from the press box to see what he was doing wrong and what Miller did right - which was to be responsible positionally while aggressive offensively.
Kreider is reaching a crossroads in his career. Will he maximize his gifts or be one who has the talent but is always viewed as a disappointment? I am not ready to call him a bust but how he will be perceived is up to him. Scratching him may not be the wisest or long-term approach, but if AV wants to send a message to him and the team, I could see him sitting out Saturday and possibly Sunday as well.