The Montreal Canadiens had the inside track on Chris Kreider all along.
Once Kreider became an unrestricted free agent following his unceremonious contract termination in Anaheim, several teams had a chance to pursue the veteran winger. But Montreal always made a lot of sense.
There were powerful connections beckoning Kreider to move to Eastern Canada.
Kreider already knew Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis from their time together with the New York Rangers. Canadiens president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton was the general manager who negotiated Kreider’s previous contract in New York. And Jim Ramsay, Montreal’s director of sports medicine, also worked with Kreider during his Rangers days.
— Feb. 15, 2024. Jim Ramsay returns to MSG as the MTL trainer after 30 years with the #NYR and a dismissal the previous summer that left several Rangers very, very unhappy.
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There was even reporting before the signing that Kreider had expressed interest in playing for Montreal. Renaud Lavoie noted that the combination of Gorton, St. Louis and Ramsay could make the transition particularly natural for the veteran winger.
That situation pretty much sums up why Kreider to Montreal was an absolute no-brainer.
The Canadiens announced a one-year contract with the 35-year-old on Saturday. The deal carries a $2.15 million cap hit, with performance bonuses that could add another $3.25 million.
And that could turn out to be a pretty important addition for a Montreal team that is no longer simply trying to build for the future.
The Canadiens are trying to win now.
Kreider Gives Canadiens Another Top-Six Option
The most evident place for Kreider is the second line.
Montreal already has plenty of young offensive talent, but Kreider gives the Canadiens something they don’t have in abundance: a proven veteran who knows how to score, get to the net and play meaningful games.
He had 22 goals and 50 points in 75 games with Anaheim last season, despite joining a new organization at age 34. He also added seven points in 12 playoff games.
That is hardly the production of a player who is finished.
Kreider should have no trouble sliding into a second-line role, potentially alongside one of Montreal’s young playmakers. The Canadiens had already been experimenting with combinations involving Ivan Demidov, Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach during informal practices, so there are plenty of possibilities for Martin St. Louis.
But why stop there?
The Canadiens could also give Kreider a chance to move up the lineup.
If he develops chemistry with Montreal’s best young players, there is nothing preventing St. Louis from putting him on the top line. Kreider has scored 20 or more goals 11 times in his career, including a 52-goal season in 2021-22.
Maybe 52 goals is unrealistic at 35.
But 30?
That doesn’t seem completely crazy.
Montreal’s young core should create more offensive opportunities than Kreider had in some of his recent seasons. If he can stay healthy and find the right chemistry, the Canadiens could get another legitimate 30-goal threat at exactly the right time.
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The contract might actually be the best part of this deal.
Kreider could have signed somewhere else for more guaranteed money. Instead, he accepted a $2.15 million base salary and loaded the deal with performance bonuses. PuckPedia lists the potential bonuses at $3.25 million, meaning Kreider can earn substantially more if he performs.
That is a fantastic setup for Montreal.
The Canadiens aren’t committing significant long-term money to a 35-year-old. There is no multi-year contract to worry about if Kreider’s production falls off. If he has a big season, he gets rewarded.
More importantly, Montreal retains significant flexibility under the salary cap. PuckPedia currently projects the Canadiens with roughly $9.8 million in cap space, giving general manager Kent Hughes plenty of room to make another move rather than treating Kreider as the final addition.
That could become especially important around the trade deadline.
The Canadiens don’t have to choose between Kreider and another major addition. They can add Kreider now, see what the roster looks like, and potentially use their remaining flexibility later.
And that may be the clearest indication of what Kreider wanted.
He didn’t just choose Montreal because it was a convenient landing spot. He chose a young, ascending team where he already had trusted relationships and accepted a contract structure that gives the Canadiens considerable financial protection.
The Canadiens had the connections.
Now they have the player.
And suddenly, it looks like Montreal was the destination Kreider wanted all along.
Canadiens Had Inside Track on Kreider All Along