The Boston Bruins could be getting ready to make a major move regarding Chris Kreider this weekend.
According to insider Pierre LeBrun, the UFA forward could be ready to decide which team will be the next one he’ll play for.
And naturally, the Bruins have jumped to the top of the list. Since Kreider is a Massachusetts native, all eyes are on the former New York Rangers and Anaheim Ducks forward landing in Boston.
“Boston, naturally, is among the potential fits for the Massachusetts native, but my understanding is that you could list every team that made the playoffs in the Eastern Conference last season as possibilities, as well as a few select teams in the West. Basically, the sense is that Kreider was keeping a pretty open mind with his options entering the weekend. But it’s getting to crunch time.”
LeBrun’s comments, as part of a column in The Athletic, signaled that roughly four to five teams were willing to claim the former 50-goal scorer off waivers. However, Chris Kreider’s representation discouraged teams from going that route.
Now, it seems that those clubs, which are all likely Eastern Conference teams, will be looking to sign Kreider.
It’s also worth noting that LeBrun made a bold prediction, stating that Kreider could decide which team he’ll sign with as soon as today (September 12).
“It could happen as early as before the end of Saturday, even.”
Beyond the Bruins, it’s unclear if there are any true favorites to land the 35-year-old forward.
Bruins Not the Only Team Interested in Veteran Forward
The Bruins are not the only team purportedly interested in Chris Kreider. As LeBrun pointed out, just about every playoff team in the East would be looking to add the veteran winger.
While Boston may be the frontrunner, potentially five teams could be looking to land Kreider: Buffalo, Carolina, New York Islanders, and Pittsburgh.
🐻 Boston Bruins ⚔️ Buffalo Sabres 🌀 Carolina Hurricanes 🏝️ New York Islanders 🐧 Pittsburgh Penguins
If that’s the case, there might be a bit of a bidding war.
Now, it’s worth pointing out that Kreider walked away from $4 million upon his contract termination with Anaheim. He was set to make $5 million in real cash, despite having a $6.5 million cap hit.
That’s why it wouldn’t be out of the question to see Chris Kreider sign a deal around $4 million. It might be a one-year contract, as a type of short-term stopgap deal.
Then, next summer, there might be talk of one more multi-year deal for the former first-round pick.
What to read next:
Chris Kreider Has Options
Just about every team in the league would be interested in landing Kreider. And while only a handful have a realistic chance of signing him, the bottom line is that the winger has options.
As has been the narrative throughout this entire situation, Kreider has kept an open mind. He didn’t box himself into a handful of teams like Dylan Larkin did.
So, an announcement could be imminent. Sure, the Bruins may not necessarily be the prevailing team. But this saga could be over much sooner than everyone expected. Heck, it might even be an example for Dylan Larkin to follow.
Chris Kreider to Bruins May Be Imminent, Insider Believes