Overview
- Kreider agreed to the one‑year contract with the Canadiens on Saturday, Sept. 12, after the Anaheim Ducks placed him on unconditional waivers and terminated his previous deal.
- Multiple outlets report the deal carries a $2.15 million base salary with roughly up to $3 million in performance bonuses, making it an incentive‑heavy, low‑risk signing for Montreal.
- Anaheim’s termination removed Kreider’s $6.5 million cap hit, a move the Ducks’ general manager said was made to create room to re-sign restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier.
- Kreider, 35, scored 22 goals and 28 assists for 50 points in 75 games last season and is expected to provide middle‑six scoring and net‑front power‑play presence for the Canadiens.
- The signing reunites Kreider with executives and coaches he knows from his Rangers days but also revives long‑standing fan ill will in Montreal tied to his 2014 collision with Carey Price, while underscoring a wider NHL pattern of clubs using short, bonus‑laden deals to add veteran depth.