Chris Kreider is getting his wish and heading back east − and north.
The Montreal Canadiens announced on Saturday, Sept. 12 that they had signed the free agent forward to a one-year contract. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the deal is worth $2.15 million with another $3 million in performance bonuses.
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Kreider, 35, had become an unrestricted free agent when he and the Anaheim Ducks agreed to place him on waivers in order to terminate his contract. That move will help give the Ducks the cap flexibility to eventually re-sign leading scorer Cutter Gauthier with Kreider’s $6.5 million cap hit off the books.
It also gave Kreider control over where he went. He had expressed a desire to return east after playing his first 13 seasons with the New York Rangers before being traded to the Ducks in the 2025 offseason.
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Luke Evangelista was traded to the New Jersey Devils.
(Steve Roberts, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Luke Evangelista was traded to the New Jersey Devils.
(Steve Roberts, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Veteran winger Patrick Kane is returning to Chicago, signing a two-year deal with the Blackhawks after spending the last three seasons in Detroit.
(Danny Wild, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Brady Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers, where he will join brother Matthew.
(James Guillory, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Pavel Dorofeyev was traded to the New York Rangers.
(Bruce Bennett, Getty Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Darnell Nurse was traded to the San Jose Sharks.
(David Gonzales, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Simon Nemec was traded to the Calgary Flames.
(Ed Mulholland, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Vincent Trocheck was traded to the Utah Mammoth.
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward JJ Peterka was traded to the Boston Bruins.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Mason McTavish was traded to the St. Louis Blues.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Mavrik Bourque was traded to the Nashville Predators.
(Steve Roberts, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Bowen Byram was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Alex Tuch joined the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade.
(Winslow Townson, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Jordan Kyrou was traded to the Washington Capitals.
(Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Goalie Jacob Markstrom was traded to the Florida Panthers.
(David Kirouac, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Blake Coleman was traded to the Minnesota Wild.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Keegan Kolesar was traded to the Detroit Red Wings.
(James Guillory-Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Nick Paul was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward William Eklund was traded to the Ottawa Senators.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Darren Raddysh joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in a sign-and-trade deal.
(Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Nick Paul was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
(Keito Newman, IMAGN IMAGES)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Marcus Pettersson was traded to the New York Rangers.
(Stan Szeto, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo was traded to the New York Rangers.
(James Guillory, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
(Dennis Schneidler, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Goaltender Frederik Andersen signed with the Edmonton Oilers.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Viktor Arvidsson signed with the Detroit Red Wings.
(Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Anthony Mantha signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
(Rob Gray, Rob Gray-Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Mason Marchment signed with the San Jose Sharks.
(Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman John Carlson was signed by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Jack Roslovic signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
(Perry Nelson, Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Jaden Schwartz signed with the Colorado Avalanche.
(Stephen Brashear, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Ian Cole signed with the Chicago Blackhawks.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
Kreider reunites with former Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton in the move as well as Martin St. Louis, the Canadiens coach and Kreider’s former teammate. He also joins a team that reached the Eastern Conference finals last season and will be a veteran presence on a team filled with rising stars.
Though his numbers have dropped off recently, Kreider has scored 22 goals in each of the last two seasons.
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Chris Kreider contract details
He’ll make $2.15 million with a potential $3 million extra in bonuses. Kreider was due to make $5 million this season in Anaheim and already received a $1 million signing bonus.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Montreal Canadiens sign Chris Kreider to one-year deal
