Insider provides update on Chris Kreider negotiations

Chris Kreider has been the talk of the NHL this trade season. He tops pretty much every analyst's tradebait list. However, it was revealed a couple of week ago that his agent had begun negotiations on a possible extension that would pull him off trade market. Now, TSN's Pierre LeBrun is providing an update on those talks. 

Long story short, for anyone hoping that Kreider would remain with the New York Rangers, it isn't looking good. LeBrun says the talks "haven't produced a path yet", referring to a possible extension. LeBrun also stated Kreider is very much in play when it comes to a trade, while adding he doesn't expect either side to really show their hands until two-to-three days before the trade deadline, which is February 24th. 

Kreider was drafted in the first round by the Rangers in 2009 and has spent his entire NHL career there. It would be strange to see him in another team's uniform, but the Rangers know they're in rebuild mode and extending Kreider likely means a big raise. Kreider has been the face of consistency throughout his career when it comes to offense and can provide a team with some much needed grit as well. He's in the final year of a four year contract that paid him $4.625 million per season, one of the better bang-for-buck contracts in the NHL. 

Kreider said at the recent All-Star game that there had been no talks with the New York Rangers up to that point about a possible extension, which came as a surprise to many. That situation was rectified a few weeks later.