Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Rangers have arguably the most talented rookie in the game, but John Tortorella has been sending rookie Chris Kreider up and down between the AHL and NHL all season long.
Kreider burst onto the pro hockey scene last year. He had just won a national championship for Boston College and had decided to leave school a year early. Kreider debuted in game three of last year’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinal against the Ottawa Senators. In game six he scored his first career playoff goal which turned out to be the game winner. In 18 playoff games last year, Kreider had five goals and two assists for a total of seven points.
But this year the transition to playing regular season NHL games has not gone as smoothly as everyone expected. Kreider sustained an injury early in the season and began to see his playing time dwindle. He was sent down the Hartford Whale of the AHL. He was called back up as the Rangers have been struggling with injuries during the home stretch of the season. Tortorella said he “wasn’t crazy” about the idea of calling Kreider back up.
The fact is Kreider has more playoff experience than most players on the Rangers roster, and that even includes superstar forward Rick Nash. Kreider is one of the fastest players in the league. It is time to start letting the kid play. He is going to make mistakes but not costly mistakes that will lead to goals. Even if he does mess up, he has an all-world goalie in Henrik Lundqvist to bail him out.
After their game one performance it is obvious the Rangers need a spark on the offensive end. Kreider could be the answer to Blueshirts’ offensive woes.
