Rangers’ Kreider placed on injured reserve with upper-body injury
On Tuesday, New York Rangers placed forward Chris Kreider on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
Kreider on IR retroactive to Sunday. Would expect a Rempe recall. If he is up tonight, would be eligible to play on Thursday against NJD.
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) January 7, 2025Due to the ailment, the 33-year-old missed this past Sunday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blueshirts went on to win the game, 6-2.
Per the New York Post’s Larry Brooks, Kreider’s placement on IR is retroactive to Sunday, which means he will not be eligible to return to the lineup until Tuesday, Jan. 14, when the Rangers visit the Colorado Avalanche. He will be out of the lineup for some key games against the Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils before the Blueshirts begin their “mountain time” road trip against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
Kreider has missed a few games already this season. A back injury caused him to miss a game against the Devils right before Christmas, though it led to speculation whether the longest-tenured Ranger would be traded. Another upper-body injury led to Kreider missing a couple of games in late November as well.
The Boxford, Massachusetts native has been having a very “Cy Young” caliber of season, offensively. Through 34 games, Kreider has scored 13 goals and two assists for 15 points. The production is far from last season, when he almost matched his career-high in points, notching 75 points in 82 games, helping the Rangers win the President’s Trophy.
In 849 NHL appearances, all with the Rangers, Kreider has scored 317 goals and 250 assists for 567 points. He’s also registered 76 points in 123 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The Rangers (18-20-1) have fallen to a tie for last in the Metropolitan Divison with the New York Islanders. Yet, the two rivals are just four points back of a Wild Card spot.