Chris Kreider was a designated healthy scratch ahead of the Rangers’ matchup with the Devils on Monday afternoon at Prudential Center.
The decision to sit the longest-tenured Ranger comes amid the club’s 4-12 skid and free fall in the standings to sixth in the Metropolitan Division and 22nd in the NHL.
Kreider, who ranks eighth on the Rangers with 12 points, has scored just once in the last nine games.
His one and only assist so far this season didn’t come until Dec. 6 against the Penguins.
The last time Kreider notched a point on the power play was Dec. 2 against the Devils.
Head coach Peter Laviolette has started to make significant lineup changes in the wake of the Rangers’ downward spiral.
After Kaapo Kakko served as a healthy scratch in St. Louis, Laviolette is now sitting a veteran down to try and send a message to both Kreider and the rest of the team.
Kreider also missed three games at the end of November with back spasms, which surfaced shortly after president and general manager Chris Drury cited the 33-year-old wing as available in a league-wide trade memo.
