Chris Kreider’s new chapter has a way of dragging old ghosts back into the room.
On Saturday, Kreider signed a one-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens after his contract was terminated by the Anaheim Ducks, and the move puts him back alongside some very familiar names. He’ll be reunited with former general manager Jeff Gorton, former alternate captain Martin St. Louis, and longtime athletic trainer Jim Ramsay.
The contract, according to Pierre LeBrun, carries a $2.15 million base and could climb to $5.4 million total if everything is maxed out.
For Rangers fans, the Montreal landing spot also pulls the conversation right back to one of the franchise’s most replayed playoff flashpoints: the 2014 Eastern Conference Final.
New York beat Montreal in six games, but Game 1 remains the moment that still gets talked about most. Kreider was sent in on a breakaway, was tripped by Alexei Emelin, and crashed into Carey Price. Price’s season ended with a knee injury, and Canadiens fans have carried that anger ever since.
The aftermath of that collision has been debated for years, but the source of the bitterness never really changed: Montreal supporters have long blamed Kreider for the injury that altered their franchise goalie’s career path. Price did fully recover in the offseason, though, and then delivered a monster 2014-15 season with 44 wins in 66 games, a .933 save percentage and a 1.96 goals-against average.
That year brought him the Hart Trophy, Vezina Trophy, Ted Lindsay Trophy and William M. Jennings Trophy.
Price eventually played 343 games after the incident, and the bigger picture points elsewhere for the downfall of his career. Still, the memory never left, and it’s fair to wonder whether the two will cross paths again now that Kreider is inside the Canadiens organization.
From Montreal’s side, the hockey fit makes plenty of sense. Kreider is 35, still productive, and coming off a season in which he scored 22 goals and added 28 assists for 50 points in 75 games.
He also brings a heavy dose of postseason mileage. Kreider has appeared in 135 playoff games and has produced 50 goals, 33 assists and 83 points in those contests. Montreal is an up-and-coming contender, and Kreider gives them a veteran piece who can be used in a variety of roles.
In Other News...
Former Rangers Defenseman Just Landed In An Awkward Metro Spot
Carson Soucy is back in the Metropolitan Division mix, this time on a professional tryout with the Columbus Blue Jackets as they open training camp. The veteran defenseman, who has spent seven NHL seasons in the league, now gets another chance to carve out a role after splitting last season between the Rangers and Islanders.
For Columbus, the fit is fairly straightforward: Soucy will be in the competition for a third-pairing job or a spot as the extra defenseman. For the Rangers, it is another reminder of how quickly familiar names can pop up elsewhere in the division, and how camp battles can shape the defensive depth chart before the season even begins. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Rookie Opener Showed One Issue This Group Must Clean Up
The Rangers opening game of the 2026 Rookie Series in Allentown gave them a useful first look at how this group is coming together, even in a 3-2 loss to the Flyers at PPL Center. Alberts mits was involved in both New York goals, showing the kind of puck-moving ability that can jump off the ice in a rookie setting, while Philadelphias top line kept pressure on the Rangers throughout and helped set the tone in a game that felt more competitive than the final score suggested.
Still, the matchup also highlighted the kind of detail work that has to tighten up fast, because the Flyers were able to generate too many of their best looks with the same players driving the play shift after shift. Jett Luchanko and Alex Bump were at the center of that push, and Bumps impact stretched beyond one finish, giving Philadelphia the edge in a game the Rangers will probably circle as a reminder that good moments with the puck have to be matched by cleaner work without it. [Read more 🡒]