If the Blueshirts believe that the construction process will last longer than they’d anticipated upon embarking on the program a year ago, the one sure way to guarantee that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy would be by trading Chris Kreider by the Feb. 25 deadline rather than extending his contract this July.
Otherwise, if this organization is serious about building, competing and accelerating the rebuild through judicious trades, pinpoint drafting, effective development and targeted free-agent signings, the notion of dealing Kreider just as he is coming into his own at age 27 seems slightly insane.