Rangers Assign Winger Chris Kreider To Connecticut Whale

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Blueshirts have assigned rookie winger Chris Kreider to the Connecticut Whale, the Rangers announced on Friday.

After playing in four consecutive games, Kreider was a healthy scratch in the Rangers' shootout loss to the Islanders on Thursday night. He missed five games earlier in the season after sustaining a chipped bone in his ankle.

The 19th overall pick of the Rangers in the 2009 NHL Draft, Kreider appeared in seven games this season before being sent down. He tallied a goal and an assist for New York.

Kreider played for the Whale earlier this season during the NHL lockout. In 33 games, the 21-year-old scored five goals and dished out seven assists.

Still one of the franchise's top prospects, Kreider remains on the Rangers' NHL roster. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder out of Boston College signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Blueshirts on April 10, 2012. He made his NHL debut in a  playoff game against the Ottawa Senators just six days after signing the contract. The Boxford, Massachusetts native became a sensation during the Stanley Cup Finals, scoring five goals.

Kreider is expected to play for the Whale against the Portland Pirates on Friday night.

The Rangers are 7-5-1, sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference with 15 points. They will return to the ice on Sunday when they host the rival Capitals at Madison Square Garden.

Good decision to send him down, Rangers fans? Sound off with your thoughts and comments below...