As former Rangers Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba bounce back with the Anaheim Ducks, it's fair to ask whether they would've helped the Blueshirts climb into a playoff spot this year.
The Anaheim Ducks' visit with the New York Rangers Monday night marked the return of former Rangers stars Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba.
But given where both teams stand in their respective divisions – with Anaheim sitting second in the Pacific Division and the Blueshirts in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division – it's fair to wonder whether things would've played differently in New York City if Rangers GM Chris Drury had hung on to Trouba and Kreider.
Before Rangers diehards lose their minds, let's be clear: we're not pinning blame for the Rangers' 16-14-4 record solely on Drury for trading Kreider and Trouba in different deals to the Ducks over the past year. And in fairness, the Rangers have a handful of issues right now that existed when both players were on the team.
One of their issues right now is averaging 2.59 goals-for per game. They certainly could've used Kreider's 13 goals and 21 points in 29 games this season after he had a down year last season, with 22 goals and 30 points in 68 games. They could even use Trouba's relatively modest 14 points right now as well.
Meanwhile, Trouba – the first to go to Anaheim last season – is averaging 22:05 of ice time. That's his best total in that category since 2021-22, when he averaged 22:26 in New York. And while we're well aware that the plus/minus statistic isn't always indicative of a player's effectiveness, it's telling that Trouba is a plus-14 this season – his best total since 2021-22.
Homecoming For Beloved Ex-Rangers Jake Trouba and Chris Kreider
Since Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider had a very special place in the hearts of <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> fans. Thus, it was no surprise that they – especially CK – were hailed by the home supporters.
Trouba's end-stage run as the captain in NYC was messy and partly his own fault, but he and Kreider are showing with the Ducks that they have value left as NHLers. So it's not unreasonable to ask whether the Rangers might have been better off keeping one or both and expecting their production to rebound. After all, most of the Rangers had down years, not just them.
That doesn't mean the Rangers were guaranteed to be successful this year with those two veterans on board. But the Ducks have benefited from each of Kreider and Trouba in their own ways, and Anaheim seems to have a better balance of younger and older players than Drury was aiming to achieve with the moves he's made of late.
Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba On Returning To New York City
The pair of former Blueshirts gave their thoughts on their return to Madison Square Garden ahead of Monday night’s game.
Thus, it's fair to hold Drury's feet to the fire and wonder aloud if things could've been different if Trouba and Kreider were still around – and if their absence is partly to blame for where the Rangers are in the standings.
And as long as the Rangers stay out of the playoff picture, those questions will only grow in volume.
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