The New York Rangers underwent a roster overhaul in recent years, with general manager Chris Drury moving on from some prominent players. One of them was Chris Kreider, who solidified himself as one of the top scorers on the roster, trading him to the Anaheim Ducks to get his contract off off the books. Kreider lasted one season with the Ducks before getting waived to free up cap space. It didn't take long for Kreider to find a new team, as he was reportedly seeking out a new team. He chose the Montreal Canadiens, a team he has history with, and is set to contend for the Stanley Cup this upcoming season.
The Canadiens needed to add a top-six forward to their roster, and they managed to land one in Kreider just before training camp. Not only that, but Kreider also brings playoff experience, as his 48 goals in the playoffs are the most in Rangers history.
It's no surprise where Kreider is being positioned on Montreal's roster after the latest update from training camp on Thursday.
Chris Kreider opens up Canadiens training camp on top line
Most of the NHL began training camp on Thursday. Given how little time there is from training camp until the start of the season, the lines we see may very well be the ones that start off the season. For Kreider, he was spotted on the top line as the right winger alongside center Nick Suzuki and left wing Cole Caufield.
It's not necessarily surprising that Kreider is on the top line. After all, that's where he primarily played during his time with the Rangers. But, this also allows the Canadiens not to have a top six that is a bit too top heavy. With Kreider on the top line, that bumped Juraj Slafkovsky down to the second line alongside Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. It does provide them a bit more balance.
Also, Kreider was spotted doing tip drills in front of the net during practice. As Rangers fans know, Kreider is at his best when he's near the crease, showing that he can redirect the puck to get past the opposing goaltender. As NHL.com stats expert Chris Meaney points out, Kreider has the most tipped in goals since entering the league during the 2012-13 season with 100, which is 33 more goals the player in second place.
Could Rangers fans see Chris Kreider lift Stanley Cup with Canadiens?
The Rangers are no strangers to seeing their former players win the Stanley Cup in relatively shortly after their exits. Last season, K'Andre Miller won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes. In 2025, Niko Mikkola and Vladimir Tarasenko won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers. It's a much-too painful theme for the Rangers. Could Kreider be next?
This past season, the Canadiens shocked the world by making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. This was a team that was rebuilt with the hopes that the likes of Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Demidov, and Lane Hutson can all help end their Stanley Cup drought. Even though they did upset the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres in the first two rounds, they were no match for the Hurricanes. It showed that the Canadiens still needed to add a veteran player to help them take that next step.
With Kreider, he enters a favorable situation, where he should have a career resurgence if he does line up next to one of the best centers in the league in Suzuki and the top young scorers in the league in Caufield during the regular season. If that does happen, the Canadiens should be well-positiioned to contend throughout the season and if they enter the playoffs.
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