The Kreider Signing in Montreal Reveals 3 Very Important Truths

Chris Kreider is heading to Montreal, and the deal has caught a lot of attention around the NHL. Not only was the signing financially friendly, but Kreider’s history with the Canadiens is controversial. Emotional fans aren’t thrilled. Some can put their feelings aside. Others weren’t fans of the team when Kreider was blamed for ending the Canadiens’ best chances of winning a Stanley Cup in 2014.

Regardless, this deal reveals three very important truths.

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Kreider’s Deal is a Financially Smart One by the Canadiens

The 6-foot-3 winger signed a one-year, incentive-heavy contract with the Canadiens: a modest $850K base salary, a $1.3 million signing bonus, and up to $3.25 million in performance bonuses tied to games played and goal-scoring thresholds. All told, the deal carries a $2.15 million cap hit against a $5.4 million AAV, and includes a no-move clause.

No matter how you slice it, this is a win for the Canadiens.

Kreider became available after the Anaheim Ducks placed him on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract — with his blessing — freeing him from the final year of a $6.5 million deal. The Habs didn’t have to give up draft picks or roster players to acquire him. They aren’t paying him much unless he stays healthy and produces. Kreider is an effective player who makes the Canadiens a much deeper team.

There Are Links Between Kreider and The Canadiens; It’s Time for Fans To Forgive

Canadiens president Jeff Gorton was Kreider’s GM for six seasons in New York. Head coach Martin St. Louis was his teammate for the final two years of his playing career. And longtime Rangers athletic therapist Jim Ramsay, now with Montreal, reportedly had a bond with Kreider that also played into the decision. These aren’t things to overlook.

This team, regardless of what fans think about his past, are ready to start a new chapter and rewrite the narrative around this player. Fans might recall Kreider running into Carey Price and taking him out in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, and eventually that series in 2014. Fans are still bitter. But Kreider isn’t evil. On Feb. 15, 2024, longtime Rangers trainer Jim Ramsay returned to MSG with Montreal after a bitter dismissal — but got no acknowledgment from the team or broadcast. Following the 7-4 win, Kreider directed his teammates to honor Ramsay, embracing him on the ice himself. He’d scored a hat trick but skipped postgame media, showing the character behind a player who still has plenty left.

The Canadiens don’t see Kreider as the guy who took out their former goalie. Even Carey Price holds no ill will towards him. It’s time for fans to put that behind them, too.

Kreider Can Produce on This Team

On the ice, Kreider still has plenty left. He posted 22 goals and 50 points in 75 games with Anaheim last season, and over his last five playoff runs he’s contributed 44 points in 55 games. At 34, he’s chasing something that’s eluded him for 14 NHL seasons: a Stanley Cup.

Joining a Canadiens team that finished sixth overall and reached the Eastern Conference Final as the league’s youngest playoff squad gives him a real shot at it. He’s motivated. The Ducks wouldn’t have moved on from him unless they had to for salary cap reasons. Other teams likely wanted Kreider too. He chose the Canadiens. And he was willing to come to the team for only one year, meaning his commitment level to the Canadiens was minimal.

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