Soon to be former Anaheim Ducks forward Chris Kreider caused quite a stir on Wednesday. And it’s likely the Montreal Canadiens’ ears perked up.
News broke that the Ducks were parting ways with the former 50-goal scorer, placing him on waivers for the purpose of contract termination. The move makes sense for Anaheim as they need to clear cap space to sign Cutter Gauthier.
And it also makes sense for the Canadiens. After all, the club has been looking for a top-six goal scorer to fill in the gaps.
Of course, Kreider is 35 and no longer the 50-goal man he once was. But he could be a serviceable top-six forward who could support a budding core.
Plus, as insider James Murphy noted, there’s an interesting connection to head coach Martin St. Louis.
I would think there’d be interest from the Canadiens regardless.
@sickpodnhl @thesickpodcasts @StarrandDamicoThe other bit of interesting news is that Kreider wants to play on the East Coast. That makes Montreal an ideal landing spot for the veteran forward. The Canadiens could offer an opportunity to win a Stanley Cup, while also offering to give him a guaranteed deal.
Player wants to return East, will not report if claimed somewhere he does not want to play. Final year of $6.5M cap hit. Ducks clear cap room
That’s important, as most contenders who would be interested in Kreider would be up against the cap. As such, they might not be able to offer more than a 35+ incentive-laden deal.
Kreider Could Be a Perfect Fit for the Canadiens
The Canadiens don’t need Kreider to be the player who scored 52 goals for the New York Rangers in 2021-22.
They simply need him to be a reliable top-six winger.
And there could be a pretty obvious spot for him.
Montreal’s projected lineup currently has Alex Newhook playing on the left side of the second line alongside Jake Evans and Ivan Demidov.
Wouldn’t Kreider be a better fit?
The answer is pretty obvious.
Newhook has plenty of value, but Kreider brings something the Canadiens don’t have nearly as much of: experience. He’s played 958 regular-season games and 135 playoff games, while remaining a consistent 20-goal threat throughout his career.
And playing alongside a dynamic young player like Demidov could be particularly interesting.
Demidov’s creativity could create opportunities for Kreider around the net, while Kreider’s size and experience could give the 20-year-old another veteran to lean on.
Maybe that combination gets Kreider back to the 30-goal plateau.
Even if it doesn’t, the Canadiens would be getting a proven veteran scorer for one season.
What to read next:
The Habs Could Offer Kreider a Very Reasonable Contract
This might be where Montreal has a legitimate advantage over other interested teams.
Kreider was scheduled to make $5 million in salary during the final season of his contract, but because he already received a signing bonus, he reportedly has only $4 million remaining to collect. His previous contract carried a $6.5 million cap hit.
That opens the door for an interesting proposal.
The Canadiens could offer Kreider a one-year, $4 million contract.
For Kreider, that would allow him to collect the money he was expecting while choosing his next destination. For Montreal, it would be a relatively modest commitment to a veteran who scored 22 goals last season.
And the Canadiens have the room to do it.
Montreal currently projects to have roughly $9.8 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia.
More importantly, Montreal wouldn’t be locking itself into another long-term contract.
That’s exactly the type of move the Canadiens should be considering. They can add a proven scorer without sacrificing their future flexibility.
Kreider doesn’t have to become a superstar again.
He just has to be better than the alternative.
And for the Canadiens, that could make this opportunity too good to ignore.
Canadiens Could Be Ideal Destination for Kreider, Insider Floats