New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider is considered day-to-day after exiting Saturday's contest against the Detroit Red Wings with an upper-body injury, head coach David Quinn said after the game, according to the New York Post's Brett Cyrgalis.
“That looked like a really severe blow to the head," Quinn said. "I felt better when I came and saw him in between the periods. He wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I thought he would be. After the game ended, we talked, and it’s a lot better than I anticipated.”
Kreider went to the locker room in the second period after taking an inadvertent knee to the head from teammate Mika Zibanejad and did not return.
The 28-year-old winger is regarded as one of the most coveted pending unrestricted free agents ahead of the Feb. 24 trade deadline.
Chris Kreider heads to the locker room after taking a knee to the head from teammate Mika Zibanejad. pic.twitter.com/sxyyhfUxKt
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 2, 2020
Kreider was playing excellent hockey entering Saturday's tilt, notching six goals and nine points over his last nine contests. He ranks third on the Rangers in both goals (18) and hits (91) while averaging 17:42 of ice time per game this season.
The Massachusetts native took part in his first career All-Star Weekend in January after replacing teammate Artemi Panarin at the event.
