Chris Kreider Lands One-Year Deal After Unexpected Anaheim Exit

Written by Gina Anton

Chris Kreider didn't get to decide when his time in Anaheim was over.

The Ducks made that decision for him, terminating the final year of his contract just days before the 35-year-old forward found another opportunity in Montreal. For a player coming off a 50-point season, the sudden change makes the next chapter of Kreider's career a little different.

Kreider had 22 goals and 28 assists in 75 regular-season games last season, followed by seven points in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games. His production showed he could still make an impact, but the Ducks decided it was time to move on.

Now, Kreider has a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens and another opportunity to show what he can still bring to an NHL lineup.

A Career Already Built

Kreider does not need to prove that he belongs in the NHL. In 14 seasons with the New York Rangers and Anaheim Ducks, he has recorded 632 points, including 348 goals, in 958 regular-season games, along with 83 points in 135 playoff games.

He has scored at least 20 goals 11 times, including a career-best 52 goals in 2021-22. His résumé is already established, but at 35, every new opportunity comes with a different question: how much is still left?

Montreal gives Kreider a chance to answer that.

The Canadiens are coming off a 48-24-10 season and reached the Eastern Conference Final before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in five games. This is not a team simply looking for a veteran to finish out his career. Montreal expects to compete, and Kreider will have a chance to contribute to a group that believes it can go even further.

He will also reunite with Martin St. Louis, his former Rangers teammate who is now behind the Canadiens' bench.

For Kreider, that familiarity could help as he enters another unfamiliar situation. A player who once expected to finish the final season of a seven-year, $45.5 million contract is now entering a one-year deal with something different to prove.

Not whether he had a successful career. That part is already clear.

Now, it is about showing there is still another chapter worth watching.