Photo: Puck Prose

The Washington Capitals remain among the suitors for New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider, TSN’s Bob McKenzie said during NBCSN’s “Wednesday Night Hockey” Broadcast.

Latest on Kreider: NYR looking for three pieces
1. 1st rd pick
2. Good prospect
3. (1) of player, lesser prospect, pick or even a conditional pick pic.twitter.com/gYltXagnsl

— Tom Urtz Jr. (@TomUrtzJr) February 20, 2020

“The door is still open in terms of negotiations with Chris Kreider and his agent, Matt Keator, the dialogue has continued, but I also think at this point it’s a little more likely that he’s going to be traded than signed, but both options are still very much on the table,” McKenzie said. “We believe there are at least five teams that are legitimately interested to varying degrees on Chris Kreider. That would include the Boston Bruins, the Colorado Avalanche, the New York Islanders believe it or not — I’m not sure what the deal would have to look like for Chris Kreider to end up with the Islanders, but nevertheless they are a team that apparently has spoken (to New York) — along with St. Louis and Washington Capitals. St. Louis maybe not as much as before after they made the Marco Scandella trade.”

McKenzie added “Right now, the Rangers expect to get a first-round pick, a good prospect as well as a third piece, which could be a player, a lesser pick or a lesser prospect, and possibly a conditional pick if the team that acquires Kreider ends up signing him to a long-term deal. In an ideal world, this goes right down to the deadline on Monday.”

Kreider is arguably the gem of this year’s NHL Trade Deadline with 23 goals, 42 points, and a +8 rating in 57 games this season. The 28-year-old tied his career-high in goals (28) and came one shy of his career-high in points (52) in 79 games last season. In 517 career NHL games, all with the Rangers, Kreider has posted 156 goals, 313 points, and a +63 rating.

Kreider has posted 23 goals, 37 points, and a -5 rating in 77 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, including a five-goal, 13-point output during the Rangers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014.

GM Brian MacLellan told the media on Wednesday “I’d consider anything if it makes sense for us,” MacLellan said. “We’ll continue to talk to teams. If that’s an option, I’m already pursuing it.”

Kreider currently counts for $4,625,000 against the salary cap, so the Capitals would need to get creative if they want to acquire him as the team has only $937,286 available in deadline cap space according to CapFriendly.

The NHL Trade Deadline is on Monday at 3 PM ET.

By Harrison Brown