The Montreal Canadiens pulled off a mild surprise on Saturday, announcing the signing of Chris Kreider to a one-year deal.
The move isn’t really much of a surprise. But it was interesting to see the Massachusetts native pass up the chance to play for the Boston Bruins.
That said, the Canadiens, who have been looking for a top-six forward for a long time, got one. And now, that situation means that Kirill Marchenko may not be a part of the conversation anymore.
Kreider makes sense for the Habs.
As Marco D’Amico noted, there’s a clear connection between Kreider and Jeff Gorton dating back to the New York Rangers days.
Giving the relationship with Gorton/MSL/Ramsay, it made sense in practice.
At a maximum of $5.15M, that’s solid value for the Habs and it gives him a shot with one of the better teams in the
That connection gave the Canadiens a foot in the door. And now, the Habs have a solid scorer to play on their second line. It also means that the Habs are likely out of the Kirill Marchenko race.
For Montreal, it was a much wiser bet to land Kreider as a UFA than to play a hefty price for Marchenko. The talk has been that the Columbus Blue Jackets want an arm and a leg for the Russian forward. Even if the Habs wanted to pay the price, they would still have to sign him at the end of this season.
That’s why the Canadiens likely chose Kreider over Marchenko. The situation landed on their lap, and they made the most of it.
Canadiens Might Still Leave Porch Light on for Marchenko
Now, the Kreider signing doesn’t guarantee that the Canadiens would not trade for Marchenko if given the chance.
The likelihood is that the Habs will leave the porch light on for Marchenko, should the Blue Jackets ever come down on their price.
With the way things are going in Columbus, it wouldn’t be entirely out of the question to see some movement at some point down the line.
Be that as it may, the Habs could circle back to the Blue Jackets’ forward at some point. Things can change very quickly, especially if things completely fall apart with Adam Fantilli. If Columbus’ season is over sooner than expected, the appetite to move Marchenko may increase rapidly.
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Kreider Promises to Deliver in Montreal
As for Kreider, there is not much to like about this fit. The veteran winger wanted to play in the East Coast and land on a contending team.
The Canadiens check off those boxes.
The former Ranger will also have a chance to play on a young, rising team. In a way, it’s pretty much the same situation he was in with the Anaheim Ducks. The difference is that the Ducks aren’t nearly as mature as the Habs are. Montreal has already made it to a Conference Final. While the Ducks stunned the Oilers last spring, they’re seemingly behind Montreal.
That’s why Kreider made a wise move to land in Montreal. It’s an ideal fit, and one where he could recoup the money he left on the table following his contract termination.
If everything goes well, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the former first-rounder have a renaissance. Perhaps there might be a 30-goal season in him yet.
Canadiens May Have Chosen Chris Kreider Over Kirill Marchenko