Chris Kreider

Due to the impending NHL lockout, the New York Rangers have assigned the following players to their AHL affiliate, the Connecticut Whale:

Sean Collins, Tommy Grant, Michael Haley, Chad Kolarik, Kris Newbury, Logen Pyett, Brandon Segal, and Mike Vernace

The point of this move is of course to allow them to play in the AHL rather than be locked out completely from North American hockey.

Additionally, Chris Kreider remains the only eligible Ranger to play for the Whale without waivers. Carl Hagelin, Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh are all on entry-level deals, but they would require waivers to play in the AHL, either for the amount of NHL games they have played or their age.

If Kreider does end up playing for the Whale, you’d have to imagine this has been a crazy six months for the young kid. He went from winning a NCAA Tournament Title with Boston College, to a professional NHL athlete with the Rangers in a matter of days; set records as a rookie in the postseason with the Rangers; and now could be playing for the AHL in the event of a long-term NHL lockout.