"About to be traded?" - NHL fans speculate over Chris Kreider's future as Rangers star gets ruled out with mysterious upper-body injury

The New York Rangers announced on Sunday that forward Chris Kreider is out with an upper-body injury. The team stated he is day-to-day and missed the game against the Chicago Blackhawks, which New York won 6-2.

Kreider’s absence comes as he was regaining form, scoring two goals and three points in his last three games. Jonny Brodzinski was added to the lineup to fill the gap while Kreider recovers.

New York Rangers PR tweeted,

"UPDATE: Chris Kreider (upper body, day-to-day) will not play today."

Fans quickly speculated about Kreider’s future with the Rangers. On X, some questioned if the injury could be linked to a possible trade.

“About to be traded?” One fan wrote.

“Trade related reasons I’m hearing from a source.” Another claimed.

Here are some more reactions from fans on X:

"Miller never needed as much" a fan said, pointing towards a recent trade rumor involving J.T. Miller of Vancouver Canucks.

"That's a funny way to say healthy scratch." another fan said.

"Did JT effn Miller just waive his no trade clause?" one fan shared.

Chris Kreider, who has been with the Rangers his entire career, has faced challenges this season after a standout performance last year (75 points). His recent improvement had given hope for a stronger second half.

For now, the team has only confirmed Kreider’s injury status. The Rangers remain focused on staying competitive as they push for the playoffs after winning the President's Trophy last season.

Chris Kreider scored the opening goal in loss to Capitals

The Washington Capitals beat the New York Rangers 7-4 on Saturday at Capital One Arena. Chris Kreider scored first for the Rangers at 7:00 of the first period, intercepting a clearing attempt. Dylan Strome tied it 1-1 on a power play at 18:46, scoring on a rebound.

Lars Eller gave Washington a 2-1 lead at 2:29 of the second period with a deflection. Andrew Mangiapane made it 3-1 at 10:08 with a goal off Nic Dowd’s pass. Sam Carrick reduced the deficit to 3-2 at 16:26, but Connor McMichael made it 4-2 at 18:13 on a power play.

In the third period, Filip Chytil scored on a breakaway at 8:32, bringing the Rangers to 4-3. Alex Ovechkin scored his 872nd NHL goal at 10:50, making it 5-3. Mika Zibanejad brought the score to 5-4 at 13:04. Aliaksei Protas extended the Capitals’ lead to 6-4 at 14:00, and Tom Wilson scored an empty-net goal at 19:22.