Chris Kreider is a perfect addition: let’s stop living 12 years in the past

Félix Forget
Chris Kreider is a perfect addition: let’s stop living 12 years in the past
Credit: Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images

It's now official: Chris Kreider has reached an agreement with the Canadiens. The Habs announced the signing of the forward, who has signed a one-year contract with the team.

He'll earn $2.15 million… and could earn an additional $3.25 million in performance bonuses.

Obviously, all of this is causing a stir in Montreal because we know Kreider isn't a fan favorite. After all, many still hold it against him for injuring Carey Price during the 2014 playoffs.

But if we stop dwelling on the past for 12 years, this signing is… pretty much perfect. The Canadiens are undoubtedly a better team after signing Kreider.

And they've improved by signing, at a relatively low price, a forward who (probably) still has plenty left in the tank.

As things stand, the Canadiens needed players capable of playing in the top-6 and players with grit. With Kreider, they check both those boxes… and they even get, to top it all off, a player with a ton of experience in the league.

Keep in mind that the Habs were on track to be the youngest team in the NHL in 2026–27. And it's pretty rare for the league's youngest team to go far in the playoffs.

To sum it up, the Canadiens have landed a player who fills most of their needs, and they did so without compromising on the salary front. Signing Kreider, in fact, won't prevent them from paying Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj.

He won't cost $5.4 million against the cap, but rather $2.15 million. That provides flexibility this year… and the bonuses can even be deferred to next year, if the Habs ever need them.

It's normal to hold a grudge against Kreider for what he did in 2014. But in 2026, we need to move on: objectively speaking, Kreider makes the Canadiens better.

It'll be pretty weird to see him in a Canadiens uniform on November 10, when Price is being honored at the Bell Centre. But all things considered, this is good news.


Extension

– In Montreal, Kreider will be reunited with his former teammate… Martin St-Louis.

– Kreider, an American, chose Montreal from among several possible destinations. No, not all U.S. natives want nothing to do with Canada.

– Still.

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