Since the start of the 15-16 season, Kreider is 5th in the NHL in corsi differential and 7th in expected plus/minus (one of the players ahead of him in both, Pavel Datsyuk, doesn't play anymore). That's not wingers, that's players.
Nobody will accuse Chris Kreider of being a Hart Candidate, he doesn't score enough, but he's absolutely elite in this league at driving play. HF loves their intangibles until they're actually presented with them, and then they don't mean anything.
He's the perfect compliment and if he ever had a legit 1C, the perception of him would be different. So would the numbers.
We would need an overpayment to give away a player who adds so much to our team away from the scoresheet. Especially a rebuilding team. This team needs his influence. He needs to be re-signed long-term so he's still here when the project is (hopefully) finished.
Salaries are accelerating to the point where if he got 7 x 7, it would look pretty good four years down the line. If I'm Jeff Gorton, he's absolutely not available, let alone part of package, let alone part of a package in a lateral move.