Canadiens Have Evolved into Choice Destination as Kreider Signing Proves – The Hockey Writers – Canadiens Transactions

The only logical reason why Chris Kreider would sign with the Montreal Canadiens is the former-50-goal scorer legitimately believes the team can win now. As for why the Habs themselves would sign the ex-New York Rangers forward, who infamously seemed to “accidentally on purpose” crash into goalie Carey Price in the 2014 Eastern Conference Final? That’s a bit harder to determine.

Canadiens Sign a 35-Year-Old Kreider

Kreider’s career 52-goal, 77-point season came in 2021-22, five years ago now. While he did score a still-impressive 75 in 2023-24 (39 goals), he’s also 35 and coming off a 50-point campaign with the Anaheim Ducks, after having been traded there last offseason with a fourth-round pick, for prospect Carey Terrance and a third-round pick in what appeared to be a salary dump.

Fast-forward a year and the Ducks found themselves in a similar situation, cap-space-strapped after matching the five-year, $90 million offer sheet star Leo Carlsson signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. They then decided to terminate Kreider’s contract with one year left at a $6.5 million hit, making him a free agent and prompting fan bases across the league to speculate that their team could be the one to land him at a discount. Of all 32, you would have objectively thought the Canadiens would not have so much as barked up that tree.

It goes beyond a simple grudge. Logistically, there really isn’t a spot for the left winger in the lineup, at least not if you’ve already slotted in Cole Caufield on the top line and Alex Newhook, who’s coming off an impressive playoff run, playing with Ivan Demidov, on the second. Alexandre Texier meanwhile helped form an effective third line with Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson during the playoffs. While Kreider did score 50 points last season, you’re unlikely to get that much out of him in a third-line role, especially not at the very bottom of the lineup in a spot many fans probably had earmarked for a prospect like Florian Xhekaj.

Kreider Represents a Low-Risk Commitment

In terms of level of risk, there admittedly is close to none. General manager Kent Hughes signed Kreider to a one-year deal, with $2.15 million cap hit (with more attainable by hitting performance bonuses). It’s the type of deal teams fantasize about signing on July 1, when the five-year, $23.13 million one to which they signed defenseman Karl Alzner, only to buy him out a few seasons later, is closer to reality. 

AAV here is $2.15M

Bonuses can bring up to $3M more https://t.co/I03IAy4OSy

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 12, 2026

So, at face value, Hughes did incredibly well to add secondary scoring to his lineup. The Canadiens are theoretically stronger on paper today than they were at this time yesterday. In some circles, that’s the most important part. However, for a team effectively entering contention, coincidentally coming off a separate Eastern Conference Final appearance that ended in heartbreak, it’s only natural to question whether Kreider represents the missing piece, when it’s fairly clear the Habs’ biggest hole is at centre, where they resorted to playing fourth-liner Jake Evans between Newhook and Demidov during the playoffs.

Kreider doesn’t solve that issue. He really only takes a roster spot away from a rookie, when that hypothetical rookie would be better-suited for the role down the lineup that’s available. To his credit, he does give the Canadiens options at the top of the lineup. And, seeing as this is a signing and not a trade, Hughes has not given up any assets that could otherwise go to towards trading for the centre they need, in acquiring him. So, in that respect, if some perceive the power-forward veteran to be akin to a low-commitment trade-deadline acquisition, the Habs clearly come out ahead. It just seems misguided given the history.

By now, everyone knows Kreider is disliked in Montreal. That’s putting it mildly. In the minds of many, he didn’t just contribute to costing the Canadiens a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2014. He also shortened the career of Price, who last played in 2022 but whose eight-year, $84 million contract just ended, with him then getting inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Ironically though, Price’s career getting cut short and then being forced to move on from him ushered in this current era, in which the Habs are arguably in a better position to compete consistently. However, can the fans move on regarding Kreider?

Forgive and Forget, Habs Fans?

No one’s suggesting they forget Carey Price or how, had the Canadiens picked Kreider at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal like then-director of player development Trevor Timmins says he wanted (instead of hometown-kid and eventual-bust Louis Leblanc), the goalie might still be playing. “Forgive” might even be too strong of a concept at this point. However, with Kreider only signing on for a single season, and, perhaps more significantly, signing on to be on the receiving end of jeers at the Bell Centre, he’s signalling that he sees a good chance to win in the here and now with this specific team. And, just to be clear, if a player like Patrice Brisebois can be booed by the home crowd, Kreider certainly can too.

In an era where American stars are making trade requests to leave for teams south of the border amid increasing geopolitical tension between the two countries, this decision logically must not have come easily. It was a good one though, at least for him, personally. All that can be said from the Canadiens’ perspective at this juncture is that it represents an interesting move on Hughes’ part, intriguing even. It’s hard to classify it as bad, because of the low level of risk involved.

Is it a good one for the Canadiens, though? That may take some time to determine. If time hasn’t healed all wounds by now, over a decade later, it doesn’t exactly bode well.