I'm a Skatman
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,044
Likes: 295
I wonder if the people commenting here ever watched Kreider play. he's neither Milan Lucic nor entirely foot speed reliant - yes, he is crazy fast, but he is also very strong and good at holding off defenders, which, combined with his speed, makes him incredibly hard to defend when breaking to the net.
however, he is also maybe one of THE best net front presences in the league - his number of deflection/tip in goals is only rivaled by Pavelski, and he scored 34 goals in his age 34 season. due to his lower arm strength, he also has a very good snap shot release. his skill set is very difficult to replace and the Rangers did well here with the AAV. Kreiders issue has been consistency, but prior to Zibanejad, he never played with an elite center who's skill set complimented him particularily well.
and as for the term - I don't think this is as bad as people here want it to be - as with all UFA signings, the back years of the contract have lesser salary to make them tradable and you sign them past their prime to pay FOR their prime. this happens every single time, and the issues only arise if those players drop off immediately. if the Rangers see their window of contention in 2-3 years, they did everything right here.