Forward Chris Kreider has joined the Montreal Canadiens after being released by the Anaheim Ducks. The 35-year-old had his contract terminated by the Ducks on Thursday, one day after he was placed on unconditional waivers and went unclaimed. Montreal signed Kreider to a one-year deal as the team prepares for training camp and another run at the Stanley Cup. According to Reuters, the contract carries a reported value of $2.15 million with performance incentives that could push the total value to $5 million. The move gives Montreal an experienced goal scorer who has played in 135 Stanley Cup Playoff games during his career.
Kreider had previously signed a seven-year, $45.5 million contract with the New York Rangers in February 2020. He spent most of his career in New York after the Rangers selected him with the 19th pick of the 2009 NHL Draft. Kreider joined the Rangers during the 2012 playoffs before ever playing a regular-season NHL game. He eventually became one of the longest-serving players in the organization and developed a reputation for his speed, physical play and ability to score near the net.
He played his first season with the Ducks after being traded by the Rangers on June 12, 2025. New York received forward prospect Carey Terrance and a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Anaheim also received a fourth-round pick as part of the deal. At the time, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said Kreider brought size, speed and experience that Anaheim wanted to add to its lineup. Kreider had spent his entire NHL career with the Rangers before the trade.
Last season with Anaheim, Kreider scored 50 points in 75 regular-season games and seven points in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He finished the regular season with 22 goals and 28 assists. The Ducks went 43-33-6 and reached the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season. Anaheim defeated the Edmonton Oilers in the first round before being eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round. The season represented a major improvement for a franchise that had spent several years outside the playoffs.
Anaheim’s decision to move on from Kreider was largely connected to its salary-cap situation. He had one season remaining on his contract with a $6.5 million cap hit. The NHL salary cap is $104 million this season and the Ducks needed additional room to handle other contracts. Cutter Gauthier was a major priority after leading Anaheim with 41 goals and 69 points last season. The Ducks also matched a five-year, $90 million offer sheet for Leo Carlsson during the offseason. Those moves increased the pressure on Anaheim to create financial flexibility.
Kreider now gets a chance to join a Montreal team that took a major step forward last season. The Canadiens finished third in the Atlantic Division last season with a record of 48-24-10 and made it to the Eastern Conference Final before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in five games. Montreal had already reached the playoffs the previous season but went much further in 2026. The Canadiens survived two seven-game series before meeting Carolina for the conference championship. Carolina won four straight games after Montreal took Game 1 of the series.
The Canadiens already have a young offensive core led by captain Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Suzuki finished last season with 101 points on 29 goals and 72 assists. He also won the Frank J. Selke Trophy after becoming the first Canadiens player in more than 40 years to reach 100 points in a season. Caufield scored 51 goals and finished with 88 points. His 51 goals ranked second in the NHL and made him the first Montreal player to reach 50 goals since Stéphane Richer in 1989-90.
Kreider adds a different kind of scoring threat to that group. He has scored at least 20 goals 11 times in his career, including a career-best 52 goals during the 2021-22 season. Kreider’s total of 52 goals tied him with Adam Graves for second-most in a single season for the Rangers, behind only Jaromir Jagr’s 54 in 2005-06. He also led the NHL with 26 power-play goals during his 52-goal season. His ability to create problems in front of the net could give Montreal another option on the power play.
Over his 14 NHL seasons with New York and Anaheim, Kreider has scored 632 points in 958 regular-season games and 83 points in 135 playoff games. He has 348 regular-season goals and another 50 in the playoffs. His postseason experience could be especially valuable for a Montreal roster that still has many young players. Kreider played in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final with the Rangers and went through several other long playoff runs in New York.
The move also reunites Kreider with Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis. The two were teammates with the Rangers during St. Louis’ final NHL seasons. St. Louis joined New York in 2014 and helped the Rangers reach the Stanley Cup Final that spring. Kreider was already becoming an important part of the Rangers lineup at the time. More than a decade later, St. Louis will now coach his former teammate in Montreal. Reuters noted the reunion when reporting Kreider’s signing.
Kreider does not need to carry Montreal’s offense. The Canadiens already have Suzuki, Caufield and several younger players expected to take major roles. Instead, Kreider can give the team another veteran presence and a player with a long record of scoring goals in difficult areas of the ice. His contract also limits Montreal’s long-term risk because it covers only one season.
The timing gives Kreider a chance to join his new teammates before the regular season begins. Montreal opens the 2026-27 season on September 29 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The NHL expanded the schedule to 84 games this season. The Canadiens will play their home opener on October 6 against Carolina in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Final.
The team is now looking to build on that performance with the addition of Kreider. At 35, he is no longer expected to be the centerpiece of an offense. But his scoring history, playoff experience and special-teams ability give Montreal another proven option as it tries to take another step toward the Stanley Cup.
IMAGE: Chris Kreider – New York Rangers 4 October 2014 Lisa Gansky CC2