Tough news for the Bruins.
The Boston Bruins were among the teams linked to Chris Kreider when he terminated his contract with the Anaheim Ducks and became an unrestricted free agent earlier this week.
Yet, the Massachusetts-born winger is officially not heading to Boston.
The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have signed Kreider to a one-year contract for the 2026-27 season.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman also reported that Kreider will have a $2.15 million AAV and can receive up to an additional $3 million with his new deal.
With the Canadiens being the Bruins' biggest rival, it is certainly unfortunate that Kreider has signed there. He has the potential to make an already good Canadiens even better.
Kreider would have been a nice pickup for the Bruins, as it is clear that they could use another top-six winger. Yet, with the 35-year-old signing with the Canadiens, the hope of him coming to Boston can be forgotten.
With the Canadiens making it to the Eastern Conference Final last year, it is not difficult to understand why Kreider has picked the Habs as his new team. It is still rough for the Bruins, though.
In 75 games last season for the Ducks, Kreider posted 22 goals and 50 points.
