The New York Rangers did the unthinkable on Monday afternoon and scratched Chris Kreider.
The veteran forward has been a staple of the Rangers for years, so to see him get benched was surprising to say the least.
New York still lost 5-0 to the New Jersey Devils as Peter Laviolette’s bold move didn’t pan out. This only caused more speculation and unnecessary drama after the game.
Artemi Panarin was asked about Kreider’s scratching post game, and he was at a loss for words, with not much to divulge on the matter.
“I don’t know what to say,” Panarin said.
While Laviolette didn’t confirm this, it only makes sense that he was trying to send a message by benching Kreider, who wasn’t exactly playing his best hockey.
Nobody’s spot in the lineup is safe and that was made loud and clear.
Kreider was not scratched for roster management reasons despite being involved in trade rumors since Rangers general manager Chris Drury sent out a league-wide memo stating he is open to making moves to shake up the roster.
It will be interesting to see how the 33-year-old responds to getting benched as he is most likely set to return to the lineup on Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
