We all found out yesterday that Chris Kreider will be becoming an unrestricted free agent after he and the Ducks agreed to a mutual contract termination. It’s a situation largely created by Daniel Briere and the Flyers getting Leo Carlsson to sign that huge offer sheet over the Summer. It’s also a reflection on Ducks GM Pat Verbeek’s negotiating style that is driving young players out of the home of Disney instead of capitalizing on the building momentum.

The Ducks issues aside, it presents Chris Drury with an opportunity to undo one of the many mistakes he’s made in his tenure as the leader of the Rangers over the last five years. Kreider is going to be available. He wants to move eastward. The Rangers could use some more scoring. Let’s get it done!

1. KISS AND MAKE UP

Why did Kreider even have to leave the Rangers in the first place? Well it was largely Drury’s own making. He began by alienating the team’s leadership by first putting Barclay Goodrow on waivers without telling him. He then tried forcing a trade on captain Jacob Trouba. When that didn’t work, he decided to tell the entire league that he wanted to get rid of Trouba and Kreider.

That apparently didn’t sit well with Chris – Kreider that is.

The Rangers tanked the season, and Drury was left with a mess. His mess of course, but he likes to be able to collect a paycheck – presumably millions – while not talking to anyone publicly about anything. He appears to like his job, as difficult as it is for him.

So Kreider manages to Escape From New York, and join a bunch of ex-Blueshirts out in the Golden State. You know the ones. It didn’t work out for either party though. I imagine that bad case of Hand, Foot and Mouth disease last season – okay I have to say this – left a bad taste in his mouth. Thank you, I’ll be here all season.

It’s a lot to overcome, but if anyone can, it’s Chris – Drury that is.

Drury has the opportunity, the resources and the ability – okay the jury’s still out on that last one. He just needs to get down on his knees and make an apology and welcome our beloved #20 back into the fold.

2. MAKE ROOM

Moving back into your parents home can be a bit awkward. They may have turned your bedroom into a craft room, or perhaps they’re renting it out to some Lithuanian math student who signed up for a four-year sub lease while they study at the local community college. It can be a challenge, but your home is always your home and we’ll make it work.

The Rangers sit at 49 of 50 contracts so there’s still space! They perhaps are a little heavy now on mid-roster right wings who need to prove something, and there’s still power play time to figure out. But I smell an opportunity here! It’s those very questions that provide the very space for someone like Kreider to rejoin the team.

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored like ten goals last season – 12 actually, and Eeli Tolvanen was a -357 for the lowly Kraken – was actually -18, better than Mika Zibanejad‘s -20 and J.T. Miller and his team *cough* leading -30. The point is these Johnny-come-lately’s have no more claim to a spot than some random dude off the street.

That Lundqvist guy might be worth a contract.

Anyway, what does it matter if we have to place another guy on waivers…I’m sure no one would take Tye Kartye, Matt Rempe or Matthew Robertson. I’m sure they’ll be fine with the other 34 guys projected to play in Hartford this year as everyone fights for that extra 30 seconds of ice time.

3. LETS TALK DOLLARS AND SENSE

So we’re buddies again. We’ve cleared the roster, now it’s time to find that Cap space. The Rangers have a little less than $1M projected free space, so we’ll need to do some creative accounting here. Before deciding he didn’t really want to live in Southern California any ore, Kreider was slated to make $4M salary this year. I know, I know….his Cap hit is $6.5M, but he was already paid $1M in bonus money and his contract was structured in a way that there’s only $4M of cash he was due this year.

Good news! The tax rates are virtually the same between Anaheim and New York City, so Chris won’t be having to pay the ol’ tax man any more.

Then it comes down to the space itself. The easiest way would be simply to terminate Bjorkstrand. Frees up a bedroom, and $4.5M of cap space. It’s like a win-win situation, except for one thing. Murder is still very much prohibited in New York City, New York State and of course federally – at least I think it still is.

So we’ll have to think of something else. We could send Joonas Korpisalo some place…really any place, but yeah to the minors. That’ll save us around $1,225,000 and also has the side benefit of not having to expose Dylan Garand to waivers. Let’s do it!

We’re now up to around $2.2M.

We can put another $800K in incentives as an over 35 guy, so that brings us up to $3M. We’re getting closer my friends. We need around a million more, assuming he doesn’t take a “home team” discount.

Let’s round it off by sending Urho Vaakanainen down to join the other twelve defenders down in Hartford. He’s probably only going to play when there’s an injury or Mike Sullivan feels like he has to do something because the Rangers are playing so badly anyway. That’ll get us another $1,225,000.

We’re there! We made it! As they’d say where grew up – Easy As. I’ve included this easy to understand video for those not accustomed to the lingo of my birth place.

LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN

There you go, an easy three step solution to what to many of the nay-sayers seems impossible. I have unequivocally proven that not only is it possible, but that it requires only a modicum of creativity and along the way we might address some other issues too.

Sure you might argue that having 50 contracts is a problem. That it creates inflexibility and may deny the Rangers an opportunity later on. To that I say emphatically WHATEVER! When you’re talking a 35 year old icon like Kreider you break some eggs, or you can never have too many goaltenders or whatever Glen Sather used to say – something about being a lion once.

Drury can also earn some credibility with the fan base, and he probably doesn’t have to even do more than a five minute zoom call!

The stars have aligned. A great injustice can be undone. Make it happen Chris!