Chris Kreider is about to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Anaheim Ducks have placed the veteran forward on unconditional waivers for contract termination, freeing $6.5 million in space for the cash-strapped Ducks and setting the winger up for a fresh start once he clears waivers on Thursday.
Kreider, 35, registered 22 goals and 50 points in 75 games with the Ducks last season and added two goals and seven points in 12 playoff games before his team was eliminated in the second round.
He joined the Ducks in a trade from the New York Rangers in June of 2025 in exchange for prospect Carey Terrance and a fourth-round pick.
The 6-foot-3 winger was entering the final season of a seven-year, $45.5 million contract that carries a cap hit of $6.5 million. He had a 15-team no-trade clause as part of his contract and was only owed $4 million in salary, which he now walks away from.
Drafted 19th overall by the Rangers in 2009, Kreider has 348 goals and 632 points in 958 career games split between the Rangers and Ducks.
Kreider helped lead the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1994 during the 2013-14 season.
His best offensive season came during the 2021-22 campaign where he registered 52 goals and 77 points in 81 games with the Rangers.
The Boxford, Mass., native represented the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025, but did not make the Olympic team earlier this year.
Space freed for Gauthier?
The Ducks are facing a cap crunch with restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier still in need of a new deal.
Removing Kreider from the books should leave the Ducks with more than $15.5 million in cap space, per PuckPedia.
The price tag for Gauthier has seemingly only gone up since July 1, with the Ducks matching the five-year, $90 million ($18 million AAV) offer sheet tendered by the Philadelphia Flyers to Leo Carlsson in July before Connor Bedard signed a five-year deal at a $15 million cap hit. Macklin Celebrini also inked a five-year extension this summer at an $18.8 million cap hit before Cale Makar blew past that with his eight-year extension at an $20.4 million cap hit.
Speaking at the NHL/NHLPA media tour in Las Vegas Wednesday, Carlsson acknowledged his contract played a role in Kreider’s exit from the Ducks.
“Chris, he’s leaving, but he’s also really happy for me, as well,” Carlsson told Mark Lazerus of The Athletic. “It’s a hard business.”
Gauthier led the Anaheim Ducks in scoring last season, registering 41 goals and 69 points in 76 games. He became the third player in franchise history to score 40 or more goals, joining Teemu Selanne and Corey Perry.
The 22-year-old added four goals and 12 points in 12 playoff games before his team was eliminated in the second round.
Gauthier, who headlines the remaining restricted free agents along with Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli and Carolina Hurricanes blueliner Alexander Nikishin, was not eligible for an offer sheet this summer.
