Kreider’s Arrival: St. Louis Will Have to Choose Its 13th Forward

Mathis Therrien
Kreider’s Arrival: St. Louis Will Have to Choose Its 13th Forward
Credit: Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Signing Chris Kreider is truly a masterstroke by Kent Hughes and his team, as the physical forward is exactly what the Montreal Canadiens' top-six lineup was missing.

And fans have clearly recognized that this is an ideal addition, with the majority of people welcoming the news warmly and putting the 2014 Kreider–Price incident behind them.

So everyone seems very enthusiastic and excited to see the 35-year-old veteran join the Habs.

We can all obviously see Kreider playing alongside Ivan Demidov on the second line, and you can already sense the chemistry between the talented young playmaker and the rugged goal-scorer.

Nothing has been decided yet, but let's just say we can assume that Martin St-Louis will see the same potential chemistry.

What we mustn't forget, however, is that Kreider's arrival on the second line pushes a few players down in the Habs' top-12, even forcing one forward to start the season as the 13th forward.

There are a few possibilities for the Habs, though as Grant McGagg points out, it's Alexandre Texier who would bear the brunt of Kreider's arrival.

That's certainly a possibility, but it's not the only option—and there isn't a single one that's more obvious or logical.

If we take out Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, Alex Newhook, Chris Kreider, Jake Evans, and Phillip Danault—who, in my opinion, will never be left out—well, that leaves five names.

  • Josh Anderson
  • Kirby Dach
  • Alexandre Texier
  • Zachary Bolduc
  • Oliver Kapanen

In Anderson's case, I think he's the safest bet on this list, given his contract, the fact that he's a veteran, and that he always brings something valuable to the lineup.

As for the other four players, I think there's really a debate about who will start the season as the 13th forward.

Dach is no longer part of the team's plans, so I'm certain that if he doesn't perform, they won't hesitate to bench him to make room for someone else.

As for Kapanen, he had a good season last year, but he slowed down significantly toward the end, and especially in the playoffs, he was benched more often than not.

His spot isn't set in stone, but the fact that he plays center could work in his favor.

As for Bolduc, well, the Quebec native still doesn't have a contract for this season, and let's just say that last season made it clear he wasn't Martin St-Louis's favorite.

That leaves Texier, who, in my opinion, with his two-year contract, will get his chance in the top 12, but nothing guarantees he'll stay there.

Personally, I think it'll come down to Kirby Dach and Oliver Kapanen—since both guys bring roughly the same thing to the table, there's no reason to have both of them in the top 12.

So it'll be really interesting to see what St-Louis does to start the season.


In Brief

– Alouettes lose.

– Kimi Antonelli's quite the character.

– For those interested.

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