Overview
- The Ducks placed Kreider on waivers on Sept. 9, 2026, as the first step in a mutual contract termination that would remove the final year of his seven-year deal.
- If Kreider clears 48-hour waivers he will become an unrestricted free agent and the Ducks will shed a $6.5 million cap hit while owing roughly $4 million in cash after a July signing bonus.
- Reports say Kreider approved the waiver process, prefers to return to the Eastern Conference and has told teams he will not report to a claiming club he does not want to play for.
- Anaheim pursued trades but declined offers that required adding assets, and executives are using the termination to create room after matching Leo Carlsson’s large offer sheet.
- Kreider’s potential free-agency has already generated interest around the East, with frequent names floated including Boston, Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Carolina, and his availability could shift short-term roster plans around the league.