Aside from all of the hype that comes along with being the top seeded team in the Eastern Conference headed into the playoffs, there has been a subsidiary buzz in the world of the New York Rangers for the past few weeks, and that's been surrounding prospect forward Chris Kreider. Kreider, who just recently returned to classes at Boston College after his Eagles made it to the Frozen Four in the NCAA Hockey tournament, now has several options. He could stay in school and return to BC for his senior year in the fall, finish this year and sign with the Rangers in the offseason, or drop everything and sign in New York right at this moment. It appears that he will go with the ladder route, and that it will all go down within the next two days.
As pointed out by Larry Brooks in the New York Post today, there's no guaranteeing that Kreider would be prepared to meet the demands of head coach John Tortorella, or the Stanley Cup Playoffs for that matter, right out of college, though. Remember, college hockey is not considered a professional level of play, therefore he has very little experience as far as that's concerned. Would it be fair to subject Kreider to the most intense hockey there is in order to simply get the kid's feet wet?
Brian Boyle says if that were the case, the team would welcome him with open arms...
“If he comes, we’ll welcome him with open arms,” Boyle told The Post following Tuesday’s practice. “He skated with us [in informal workouts] before camp opened, he’s a good kid, and if he can come in here and wants to help us, why not?
“It’s got to be tough for him, too. It’s the biggest decision of his life up to this point. But if he comes, we’ll make him feel at home.”
Yes, obviously he would be welcomed by his new teammates, but that's a small matter compared to the one he'd face jumping right into playoff hockey at the NHL level. I've never went through the experience first-hand, but I'm pretty confident when I say Kreider would be entering a whole new world without a hint as to what it will be like. That's improper development of a prospect if you ask me, especially one of Kreider's caliber.
If Kreider was to sign within the next two days as expected, his best option would be to gain some experience at the AHL level with the Connecticut Whale for the remainder of their season. It's the process the Rangers have put many prospects through out of college (McDonagh), and it's the same process that they should put Kreider through. Potentially destroying the kid's confidence by placing him immediately in the playoffs is unfair and poorly thought out.
Not only that, but with a majority of this fan base relying on this kid to be some sort of offensive savior right off the bat, he's most certainly not going to meet those expectations. We don't need to see the word "bust" thrown around here this early in the process.
It seems imminent that Kreider will decide to sign with the Rangers within the week, but we can only hope that the Rangers' brass makes the correct decision from there.
UPDATE: That was quick. According to TSN, the Rangers and Kreider have agreed to terms on an entry-level contract. No word on exact terms just yet.
UPDATE(5:00 p.m.): Kreider's cap hit is reported to be $1.3 million per year, and he will join the Rangers for practice tomorrow.
Comments