Report: Kreider isn't supposed to be a New York Ranger

The New York Rangers drafted Chris Kreider 19th overall in the 2009 NHL entry draft. 

But that wasn't when he was supposed to go in the draft order.

In a candid interview with La Presse's Mathias Brunet, Montreal Canadiens head scout Trevor Timmins revealed that with the 18th overall pick, he wanted to draft Kreider.

Given that the draft was in Montreal, Timmins felt the pressure to draft a local kid, and used the 18th pick to draft Louis Leblanc. The Montreal-native scored 10 points in 50 career NHL games and recently retired from the sport after fizzling out.

In other words, he was a bust. Meanwhile, Chris Kreider is a top-six forward for the Rangers and has posted three consecutive seasons with over 20 goals.

Timmins mentioned that the Canadiens' organization didn't want him drafting an American out of high school either. In 2007, the team had drafted Americans Ryan McDonagh and Max Pacioretty in the first round over Quebecers such as David Perron and Angelo Esposito. In 2009, those players' futures in the NHL seemed questionable, so the scene was set for Timmins to pass over another American in favor of a local kid. 

The rest is history. McDonagh was traded, ironically to the New York Rangers and is now their captain, and Pacioretty is one of the league's top goal scorers over the last 5 years.

Kreider famously crashed into Carey Price in the 2014 Eastern conference finals, ending the Canadiens' hopes of making the Stanley Cup finals. Montreal was the clear favorite in that matchup, and they simply could not manage 4 wins with Dustin Tokarski in nets.

If Kreider was a Canadien, who knows where the team would have been that year, and now. Maybe someone else injures Price. Who knows. 

Just some food for thought.