It’s official.
Chris Kreider, who was a free agent, had just decided on his next destination. We knew the Canadiens were vying for his services.
And in the end he will indeed continue his career in Montreal. The team just made an announcement.
The forward signed a one-year contract.
And the Habs just got a big, powerful forward who can score, which is exactly what they needed.
The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a one-season contract (2026-27) with forward Chris Kreider.
The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a one-year contract (2026-27) with forward Chris Kreider. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/7Hi5Dm83OP
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) September 12, 2026
We knew that the Canadiens, who have several key former Rangers in their front office (Jeff Gorton, Nick Bobrov and Jim Ramsay), had a real chance of signing the forward. And in the end, the team made its first acquisition of the summer.
We can finally say that the Habs have improved this summer, hehe.
Let’s remember that last year Kreider scored 22 goals and 50 points. At 35, he is a safe bet for a club looking for top-six options.
This will create internal competition that could elevate everyone’s game… and if he has any gas left in the tank, he would be a great teammate for Ivan Demidov, who would (really) benefit from having a guy who can score and shoot.
Extension
Of course, it will be strange for many to see Kreider in a Canadiens uniform. He’s still cute unpopular in town for injuring Carey Price during the 2014 playoffs and is still booed to this day.
But if he succeeds in Montreal and helps the team win games, I feel the fans will forgive him a lot.