After coming into Monday ranked as the top player on TSN's Trade Bait Board, the New York Rangers and Chris Kreider have reached a seven-year contract extension worth $6.5 million annually ($45.5 million total) according to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie. Pierre LeBrun reports the deal is front-loaded and has "some no-move protection" which would rule him out from the Seattle expansion draft.

Darren Dreger reported before the official announcement came down that the Rangers and Kreider were expected to work out an extension.

Kreider has 24 goals and 21 points in 60 games with the Rangers this season. He ranked second on the Rangers with 52 points in 79 games last year.

The 28-year-old has spent his entire eight-year NHL career with the Rangers after being selected 19th overall in the 2009 NHL Draft. He is a veteran of 520 regular season games and has posted 316 points in that span.

A native of Boxford, Mass., Kreider was set to become a pending unrestricted free agent at season’s end. He currently carries a $4.625 million salary cap hit and a Modified No-Trade Clause.

Kreider has appeared in 77 playoff games and tallied 37 points, although the Rangers have not qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2016-17.

New York enters play Monday sitting at 33-24-4, good for seventh place in the Metropolitan Division.