Rangers' Chris Kreider: Finalizes four-year contract extension

Kreider signed a four-year, $18.5 million contract extension with the Rangers on Friday, CBC's Tim Wharnsby reports, adding that the deal includes a $1 million signing bonus in the first three years.

Analysis:

By agreeing to this new contract, Kreider and the Blueshirts narrowly avoided a salary arbitration hearing. It's hard to miss Kreider when he's out there on the ice; at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, defenders have fits trying to move him off the puck and it's resulted in plenty of offense early in his career -- Kreider has generated 129 points (61 goals, 68 assists) over four years and 248 career games in the NHL. Once the elite wingers are off the board in fantasy drafts, give Kreider a look.