The Canadiens made a notable swing on Saturday, signing Chris Kreider to a one-year contract after the veteran forward became an unrestricted free agent earlier this week.
According to PuckPedia, the deal is worth $2.15 million.
Kreider’s path to Montreal opened when the Anaheim Ducks placed him on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. He went unclaimed, which left him free to sign wherever he wanted. He had one year remaining on a deal carrying an average annual value of $6.5 million.
TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun reported that Kreider had three teams to pick from, but Montreal won out because of a “comfort level” with head coach Martin St. Louis and his past connection with president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton.
On the ice, Kreider still produced in 2025-26. He scored 22 goals and added 28 assists for 50 points in 75 games with the Ducks, finishing second on the club with eight power-play goals. It also marked the eighth straight season in which he reached the 20-goal plateau.
The signing is sure to draw attention in Montreal for reasons beyond the stat line. Kreider has been one of the most booed athletes in modern Montreal sports history after injuring former Canadiens goaltender Carey Price during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Now 14 NHL seasons into his career, the Boxford, Mass., native has piled up 348 goals and 284 assists for 632 points in 958 regular-season games with the Ducks and New York Rangers.
His biggest individual season came in 2021-22 with the Rangers, when he scored 52 goals and finished with 77 points. Both were career highs, and his 52 goals ranked third in the NHL that year.
Kreider was drafted by the Rangers with the No. 19 pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. The Ducks acquired him after the 2024-25 season, sending forward prospect Carey Terrance to New York in the deal.
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