Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly interested in Chris Kreider

A recent report suggests the Toronto Maple Leafs are among contending teams interested in acquiring Chris Kreider from the New York Rangers.

It appears as if the Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t just looking for help on the blue line, as Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported that they are among the teams who called about Chris Kreider.

It is no secret that the Rangers are going to be sellers ahead of the trade deadline, with Mats Zuccarello, Adam McQuaid and Kevin Hayes expected to be on the move. Kreider’s name is an interesting one because he has another year on his deal at $4.625 million, which for a team like the Leafs could be an extra benefit.

The 27-year-old has 24 goals and 21 assists for 45 points in 58 games this season, so he would ideally slot in with Auston Matthews or Nazem Kadri. He would also bring a much-needed boost to the power play as a net-front presence if the team pulls the trigger on a deal.

So what would the price be to acquire a player like Kreider? Obviously it won’t be cheap, considering Kreider is in his prime and has another year on his deal; it could be another situation like Jake Muzzin, where a couple of pieces would be involved.

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Would the Leafs be willing to give up another first round pick? It would be highly unlikely which is why Brooks mentioned that the Rangers would have to be overwhelmed to move Kreider, to which he laughably suggested William Nylander as a part of the return.

For starters, general manager Kyle Dubas has no intention of including Nylander in a trade, especially for a player with one year left on his deal. Secondly, the Leafs would rather offer a player like Nikita Zaitsev if they are looking to move out salary. That would probably mean attaching a draft pick or a player like Andreas Johnsson to make the deal enticing for New York.

The Rangers would have to motivated to make a move like this. Since they aren’t looking at a long rebuild, they probably won’t want to trade Kreider unless a team like the Leafs make it worth their while.

Would you pay the price to acquire Kreider? Should the Leafs consider another player instead with their trade assets? Let us know in the comments below.