The New York Rangers have mulled trading veterans like Chris Kreider. They're mired in a disastrous start to the year, sitting at 20-20-2 and seventh in the Metropolitan Division.

GREENBURGH – After Chris Kreider missed Sunday’s game with what the Rangers described as an upper-body injury, the team placed the 33-year-old forward on injured reserve Tuesday, retroactive to Sunday, the day after he last played.

Larry Brooks wrote that the Rangers should not be in the player acquisition mode to try and make a run. Instead, New York would be best served to deal UFAs to replenish the pick population they dealt to make two ECF runs.

The New York Rangers will be without veteran forward Chris Kreider for at least three games after the team placed him on injured reserve Tuesday, per New York Post's Larry Brooks. The move is retroactive to Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals, where Kreider scored before leaving due to an upper-body injury.

According to The Athletic's Arthur Staple and Peter Baugh, two anonymous NHL executives have named forward Chris Kreider as the Rangers' likeliest trade candidate ahead of the deadline. "

The boxing-out issues continued against Utah. A minute into the game, Utah’s Ian Cole fired a point shot tipped by teammate Barrett Hayton. Igor Shesterkin made the initial stop, but Matias Maccelli got away from K’Andre Miller and buried the rebound.