from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Kreider’s attributes are apparent to everyone. That includes the people in the Rangers’ front office and the scads of scouts who have been flocking to the Garden the past couple of weeks. His presence makes the Rangers a far more formidable team and will for years. He is a legit top-line power wing who will score between 24 and 30 goals and be a force in the playoffs.

One of the scouts in the building Sunday was Rick Nash, who is special assistant to Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen. The Jackets could sure use Kreider on the left side of the first line. They could use him on the power play. They could use a reunion between Kreider and his first pro coach, John Tortorella. Let’s just say there’d be no adjustment period.

And Columbus has more to offer than just the typical pick-and-prospect package. Indeed, the Jackets have Josh Anderson, the 25-year-old power winger who has been sidelined with a shoulder injury since Dec. 14 and who is a pending RFA a year away from unrestricted free agency.

If the Rangers cannot sign Kreider/if Kreider won’t sign with the Rangers, then at least the 6-foot-3, physically inclined Anderson represents a reasonable facsimile. That would be a place to start if this is the end for Kreider.

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