The era of Chris Kreider with the New York Rangers came to a close last offseason when he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks, which reunited him with former Rangers teammate Jacob Trouba.
Kreider, Trouba and the Ducks were one of the most exciting teams in the Western Conference last season, earning a trip to the postseason and defeating the Edmonton Oilers in the opening round before eventually losing to the Vegas Golden Knights.
However, not only has Trouba already moved on from the Ducks by signing with their in-state rival San Jose Sharks, but Kreider is moving on after only a single season with the club.
Former New York Rangers Fan Favorite Chris Kreider Is On Waivers
On Wednesday, the Ducks put Kreider on waivers for purposes of a contract termination. He’s set to enter the last season of his contract that carries a $6.5 million salary cap hit.
The news was confirmed by NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, who indicated that Kreider would like to return to the East Coast where he spent the majority of his career prior to 2025-26, though didn’t specify exactly what team he could be considering.
“The move — which is happening with Kreider’s approval — make the player an unrestricted free agent once he passes through,” Friedman said via Sportsnet. “According to several sources, Kreider has indicated he desires to return east, closer to family where he spent the first 13 years of his career, and will not report if claimed somewhere he prefers not to play.
There definitely is interest. He has this season remaining on his current contract, at a $6.5 million cap hit, but only $4 million in cash still due after being paid a signing bonus on July 1.”
In his only season with the Ducks, Kreider scored 22 goals with 28 assists, helping the Ducks return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. In the postseason, he tallied twice while adding five assists in 12 games.
Chris Kreider Spent The Majority Of His Career With The Rangers
Kreider was taken in the first round (19th overall pick) by the Rangers in the 2009 NHL Draft.
After several years with the Rangers, which included a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2014 and trips to the Eastern Conference Final in 2015 and 2024, Kreider was traded, along with a four-round pick in 2025, to the Ducks last summer for Carey Terrance and a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
“You go through a pretty wide array of emotions. I think at the end of the day the most consistent thing is gratitude,” Kreider said after being traded. “I feel incredibly lucky to have played for the Rangers for as long as I did. … An 18-year-old kid getting drafted out of high school hockey in Massachusetts, that process happened for me super quickly. I think my family and I were kind of shocked at that process, and then to have been picked by a big market team like that, it was all a whirlwind and it went by super quick. But to have made the kind of friendships and the kind of relationships that my family and I were able to make through playing for the Rangers … those are friends that I’ll have for life, and obviously there are a few of them on the Ducks.”
Former Rangers Fan Favorite Chris Kreider Could Come Back East