CH announced tonight that it has reached an agreement with Chris Kreider. The club signed a player who has not been popular with fans for several years.
But more importantly, they have acquired a player who will undoubtedly improve their team. And this is the most important thing.
Considering the Canadiens haven’t added anyone since the start of the summer, this news is causing quite a stir. But tonight, Eric Engels gave the team’s fans (another) glimmer of hope.
In an article for SportsnetEngels notes that the Kreider acquisition does not prevent Kent Hughes from making other acquisitions. He goes on to say that the CEO is “working hard to ensure that Kreider does not become the latest acquisition.”
This obviously leaves the club with the option of acquiring (at least) one more player.
About Kreider’s deal with the Canadiens.
It’s a good match and if they get their way it won’t be the last match before the season starts.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) September 13, 2026
It is reasonable to assume that any further acquisition this time will be through a transaction. Unless there’s another miracle like the Kreider deal, the free agent market doesn’t seem to be of much interest to the Canadiens, especially since the players they have there could have signed weeks ago.
And we know that the Habs have assets that can be traded and that the club is not afraid to use them.
Clearly, Kirill Marchenko is worth keeping an eye on. He’s been the talk of the town this summer, and his absence from the Blue Jackets’ golf tournament has sparked speculation.
And one has to wonder if Zachary Bolduc, who is still out of contract and now locked in by Kreider (in the short term), could be a bargaining chip.
Extension
Acquiring Marchenko will not really solve the problem in the center of the second line. You would think that in an ideal world, the Canadiens would prefer a player who could compete with Kreider and Ivan Demidov on the second line.
Except those options are rarer…unless Dylan Larkin, who played with Kreider at the Four Nations, considers Montreal as a viable destination.