Newsday’s Arthur
Staple reports that Chris Kreider feels he isn’t ready for the NHL and will likely return to Boston College next season.
Here are some of Kreider’s
comments:
“’I don't feel like I'm ready for
the NHL,’ the Rangers' 2009 first-round draft pick told Newsday by phone
from Kosice, Slovakia, where he's playing for the U.S. team in the World
Championships. ‘Another year [at Boston College] can't hurt.’”
“Kreider thinks what's best for him
is to stay put. ‘The view I take is, if I'm there, I need to be ready and feel
confident in my game,’ he said. ‘Whether it's trying to make the team out of
camp or being the next guy called up from the minors, I have to be ready or
they'll just go with someone else. I don't feel I'm there yet.’”
You can look at this in a couple of
different ways. On the one
hand, it may be a good sign that Kreider is a harsh critique of himself and
that once he thinks he’s ready for the NHL, he expects to come right in and
have an impact. On the
other, Kreider has shown encouraging signs at the World Championships and may
be more ready for the next step than he thinks.
Is this a lack of confidence? Hard to say, but maybe Kreider will
get a better handle of where he’s at when the Rangers hold their annual
prospect camp after the draft, assuming he attends. Last year that camp seemed to convince
Ryan McDonagh that he was ready to turn pro, maybe it will do the same for
Kreider.
- For those of you on Twitter,
Brandon Prust has created an account, @BrandonPrust8.
- In today’s NY Post Larry
Brooks advises the Rangers to stay away from pending UFA Brooks Laich. Laich is respected around the league
and is a good leader, but as Brooks suggests, he’s likely to command a salary
in excess of what he deserves given his skill set. Laich would be a great Ranger, but the
team has far too many second and third line players as it is right now. It seems to me that Laich is destined
to be overpaid by a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs, but if the Rangers whiff
on Brad Richards, GM Glen Sather might get goaded into making a silly signing.
- In case you missed it
yesterday, Sean Avery has a new commercial out in support of marriage equality. Watch
it here.
