It's always a good thing when a rival has a major problem with a star player. Be it the Braves, Celtics, or (especially) the Cowboys, we can always enjoy some locker room turmoil that affects a team we can't stand.
And so we travel to the magic land of New York and visit our rivals, the Rangers. Apparently, Chris Krieder, one of the top scoring forwards in the league for the last few seasons, wants out. Not only that, the team seems rather eager to get rid of him.
This is quite enjoyable. First of all, he has scored 18 goals in his career against the Flyers in 45 games. Plus, we all know that when a star player demands a trade and the team seems desperate to move him, the return can end up becoming quite low (see Kevin Hayes).
This got me to thinking. What would it take for Daniel Briere to land Kreider? Could we see him come to Philadelphia?
What Might it Take to Land Kreider?
Kreider has dealt with a lot of minor injuries this year which has limited his playing time. He has scored 21 goals, but has just seven assists. His point total this season is the lowest in his career and is a far cry from his 75 points last season.
Kreider is also going to turn 34 at the end of April. He is earning $6.5 million and still has two more years left on his contract. For a player of his stature, that's a rather cheap deal and not that long of a contract.
However, if he wants off the team and the team wants to move him, that could lower what they could bring in. Likewise, his age could be a factor. A lot of teams may not want to pay a high price for his services.
Earlier, it was revealed that Flyers general manager Daniel Briere might be willing to move some of their draft capital in order to land some NHL ready talent. While Kreider is not young, he does bring some talent. For a young team that is in need of some leadership, especially one that can score, he could be very valuable for the Flyers.
The Flyers have three first round picks. One of the lower first rounders could be flipped, perhaps with one of the four second round picks. Likewise, the Rangers are really short on defensive players, but then again, find a team that isn't. It is looking as if Cam York could be on his way out. New York gets a young defender with some promise and some draft picks. The Flyers end up with a strong forward with great leadership qualities. The more salary the Flyers are willing to eat up, they could also drive the price down.
To be honest, I don't think there is a snowball's chance in hell that the Rangers would trade one of their all-time greats to the Flyers. However, if the price is right, you never know. After all, the Flyers traded Eric Lindros to the Rangers and they traded Rick Tocchet to the Penguins. Stranger things have happened. If anything, it is worth Briere's efforts to kick the tires on it and see what pops up.