Chris Kreider is arriving in Montreal with something the Canadiens can use right away: years of mileage, a resume built over 958 regular-season games and a place on a young roster that suddenly has a veteran edge.
The 35-year-old forward was set to make his Canadiens regular-season debut Tuesday night in Toronto, and he comes in as the oldest player on the NHL’s third-youngest team. Montreal still has some older voices in the room - Phillip Danault is 33, Mike Matheson and Josh Anderson are both 32, and Jake Evans is 30 - but Kreider stands out as the most seasoned presence in the group.
“I've tried to have the same approach my whole career. I'm just grateful to play at this level. I try not to take it for granted.”
Kreider signed a one-year, US$2.15-million contract with another US$3.125 million in potential performance bonuses on Sept. 12, two days after his deal was terminated by the Anaheim Ducks. He spent only one season in Anaheim before landing in Montreal, where he should have a clear runway to contribute. The Canadiens are expected to open the year with him on the top line alongside captain Nick Suzuki and 51-goal scorer Cole Caufield.
For Kreider, this is another stop in a career that began in a pretty memorable way. He made his NHL debut with the New York Rangers in April 2012, when he was still two weeks shy of his 21st birthday. His first NHL goal was the winner in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference opening round against the Ottawa Senators, and he finished that playoff run with five goals and seven points in 18 games - a league record for the most goals by a player before appearing in a regular-season game.
His regular-season debut finally came the following January against the Boston Bruins, and from there he kept building. Kreider reached a career-high 52 goals for New York in 2021-22 and enters this season with 348 goals and 632 points.
He also arrives in another market where attention comes with the territory. Montreal is a hockey hotbed, and Kreider knows he’ll be dealing with plenty of media, at least on the days he chooses to engage. During training camp, he was noticeably guarded with reporters and turned down requests that came more than once a week.
“The media shouldn't impact your day-to-day a whole lot,” he said. “I'll talk to a few more of you than I did at times last year.
Maybe (Montreal) is similar to New York in that regard. At the same time, you just show up and do the job.”
Kreider’s move to Montreal also reunites him with head coach Martin St. Louis, his former Rangers teammate.
Kreider said that won’t create any awkwardness, and he pointed to St. Louis’ competitiveness even back then as a sign of what was coming.
When they played together, Kreider said he could already see a coach in the making - someone driven, intense and willing to do whatever it took to win. In his view, that hasn’t changed.
In Other News...
Canadiens Goalie Situation Suddenly Feels Unsettled Before The Opener
The Canadiens goaltending picture has taken on a little more uncertainty on the eve of the opener, with practice offering a contrast that was hard to miss. Samuel Montembeault looked sharp, while Jakub Dobes drew attention for appearing more nonchalant and slow to recover after goals, which stood out as unusual enough to raise questions about where he is physically and where the crease battle stands.
There still has been no official word on Dobes condition, and Montreal has not announced a starter for the season opener against Toronto. For a team that has spent camp sorting out its depth and roles, the silence around the position only adds to the sense that the final answer may not be settled just yet. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Fans Have Another Reason To Love The Noah Dobson Trade
Kent Hughes blockbuster deal for Noah Dobson already gave the Canadiens a bona fide top right-shot defenseman, and the price only looks more reasonable as time passes. Montreal sent Emil Heineman and two 2025 first-round picks to the Islanders for Dobson, who is coming off a 47-point season in 80 games and is signed through 2033 at a $9.5 million annual cap hit. For a team trying to keep building around a young core, locking in a player with that kind of role and term is the sort of move that can shape the roster for years.
There is also a draft-side layer to the trade that makes it feel even better for Montreal. The Canadiens used one of their own 2025 picks on Alexander Zharovsky at 34th overall, and he has since been ranked 11th in Corey Pronmans re-ranking of the class. In other words, Montreal may have come out of the deal not only with Dobson, but with a prospect who is tracking higher than some of the players the Islanders selected with the picks they received. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Opener Puts Four Key Storylines Under Pressure In Toronto
The Canadiens will get their 2026-27 season started with an immediate measuring stick, opening on the road against a Maple Leafs team that has been reshaped by a new general manager, a new coach and a wave of roster changes. Montreal, by contrast, is bringing back most of the group from last season, with Chris Kreider joining the mix and giving the top of the lineup a different look around Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield as the team heads into a building where early answers matter.
A lot of the attention around the opener will center on how the Canadiens' younger pieces handle the moment, especially Ivan Demidov, Arber Xhekaj and Jakub Dobes, who is expected to get the start in net. It is the kind of first game that can sharpen the questions around Montreal quickly, because the Canadiens are walking into a matchup against a division rival that has not stood still, while their own core is being asked to show it can keep pace right away. [Read more 🡒]