New York Rangers News: New York Rangers Acquire Danny Kristo From Montreal
The New York Rangers have traded Christian Thomas to the Montreal Canadiens, in exchange for prospect Danny Kristo.
In a surprise turn of events, the New York Rangers have traded prospect Christian Thomas to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Danny Kristo, according to Nick Kypreos. Christian Thomas was currently attending the Rangers prospect development camp which started yesterday, and will now be on his way to Montreal. While the trade looked surprising at first, Danny Kristo is definitely an interesting player, and still has a ton of potential.
Christian Thomas on the other hand, was always criticized for his small stature, and it was a prime concern for him while making a jump to the National Hockey League. What he lacked in size though, he made up for with his excellent speed, and quick release on his wrist shot. It's tough to lose a homegrown guy like Thomas, but what's done is done at this point.
Here's a scouting report from Hockey's Future on what Kristo's future holds for him.
At times, Kristo lacks the consistency and the work ethic needed to play at the NHL level but definitely not the skills. He has quick acceleration, a powerful stride and uses his explosive speed to help make space for him offensively. The talented winger is equally fast with or without the puck and has developed the ability to shoot the puck while in full stride toward the net with a quick, accurate release.
From the sounds of it, Kristo is packed full of talent, and if he can put it all together he could give the Rangers a run for money in training camp. Based on last year's numbers, Kristo tore it up in the WCHA as he put up 26 goals, and 26 assists in 40 games with the University of North Dakota last year. He also played in nine games with the Hamilton Bulldogs where he tallied a single assist.
Only time will tell if the Rangers got the better end of the deal, but at first glance, it looks pretty promising right now. Thoughts?