New York Rangers‘ 1st round pick in the 2009 draft (#19 overall) left wing Chris Kreider(20) probably didn’t expect to be starting his rookie season in the AHL with Connecticut Whale after stepping into the Blueshirts’ Stanley Cup playoffs lineup for 18 games earning 5 goals and 2 assists on the stat sheet.
That doesn’t even take into consideration his Boston College Eagles winning a second national title in his senior year or the point per game effort he posted during the regular season to help them gain that glory.
We’re also leaving out the fact that his first goals during the playoffs were game-winners, a first by any player and he had the most goals by any skater joining a team before appearing in a single contest during regular season.
But that’s what a lockout can manifest for a young player more keen to be kept in close range of the big club to watch his development. Thank the CBA for those two-way entry level deals.
In 4 games with the Whale he only has a pair of assists on a team that’s surprisingly clawing for wins early in the 2012/2013 season.
Maybe he’s not quite giving it his full guns in the minors but if the NHL standoff continues look for him to regain the spark and start pressing for more scoring chances.