Rangers make Chris Kreider a healthy scratch on Monday.

The New York Rangers appear to be imploding before our very eyes.

On Monday, the team made what I can only describe as the latest shocking move in a long series of shocking moves when they made veteran National Hockey League forward Chris Kreider a healthy scratch.

The Rangers are set to face off against the New Jersey Devils in an early afternoon game before the Christmas break, but it looks like Kreider will benefit from an extended vacation and perhaps one that he would not have wanted.

The Rangers have found themselves plummeting down the Metropolitan Division standings in recent weeks and despite several significant moves the team has been unable to find its way. We have already seen the Rangers trade away their captain when they sent veteran defenseman Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks and we've also seen them trade away former first round pick Kaapo Kakko when they shipped him off to the Seattle Kraken. Interestingly enough the Kakko trade was preceded by that player being placed on the sidelines as a healthy scratch as well.

It is unclear at this time if the Rangers intend to pull off yet another trade in season or if they are simply once again looking to send a message to the players in their locker room, but the one thing that is certain is that this latest move is sure to cause a great deal of controversy among the Rangers fan base.

Kreider is currently in year 5 of a 7 year deal that sees him earning an average annual value of $6.5 million per season, and as a well respected NHL veteran, and one of the Rangers very best players in recent years, I suspect there would be a great deal of demand for his services if he were indeed to end up being traded.

The Rangers can't pull off any trades right now due to the NHL's holiday roster freeze, but this is a situation definitely worth keeping an eye on.