Canadiens Sign Chris Kreider to One-Year Contract

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Chris Kreider to a one-year contract, the team announced on Saturday. The deal carries a base salary of $2.15 million, with the potential for up to $3 million in additional performance bonuses. The signing comes after Kreider was placed on unconditional waivers by the Anaheim Ducks earlier this week for the purpose of contract termination. That move freed up his $6.5 million cap hit for Anaheim. Reports indicated that Kreider, who spent 13 seasons with the New York Rangers before being traded to the Ducks last summer, wanted to return to the Eastern Conference and would not report to a team he did not wish to play for. Kreider's decision to join Montreal reunites him with familiar faces from his Rangers tenure. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis was a teammate of Kreider's during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons in New York. Additionally, Montreal's executive vice president of hockey operations, Jeff Gorton, was the Rangers' general manager when Kreider was drafted and during much of his time with the club.