from Frank Seravalli of TSN,

Tick tock.

While the New York Rangers remain in negotiation to keep winger Chris Kreider, but the Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins appear to have emerged as front-runners for his services on the trade market.

Kreider, 28, has been No. 1 on the TSN Trade Bait Board since December.

The Avalanche were in on Kreider well before right wing Mikko Rantanen went down with a reported collarbone injury in Monday night’s game against Tampa Bay. That injury may have only heightened the urgency to make it happen.

The Bruins have been in on the Boston College and Boxford, Mass., kid all along, as the team atop the NHL standings attempts to avenge last year’s crushing Game 7 loss to St. Louis on home ice in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Blues and, to a lesser extent, the Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals, are all believed to have inquired about Kreider’s availability.

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