The Ducks have placed winger Chris Kreider on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract, the team confirmed to SCNG on Wednesday.
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Kreider, 35, has one year remaining on his pact with a $6.5 million cap hit but just $4 million due in cash after being paid his bonus on July 1.
He could be claimed by another team, but more likely will clear waivers. Given that the termination has been mutually agreed upon by Kreider and the Ducks, Kreider would then become an unrestricted free agent. That would absolve the Ducks of any further financial obligation or cap responsibility vis-a-vis Kreider.
The story was first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who indicated Kreider, a Boston native and longtime New York Ranger, would likely seek a return to the Eastern Conference.
He joined the Ducks last June as a buy-low acquisition from the Rangers despite becoming a mainstay in New York across more than a decade in Manhattan. An early-season stretch with nine goals in eight games showed immense promise, but he finished the campaign in an 11-game goal drought, with his physical impact diminishing over the course of the year as well.
The loss of Kreider comes amid an offseason of purges and squeezes for the Ducks. They lost four of their six regular defensemen –– three to free agency and another to trade –– as well as some bottom-six forwards, banking on modest additions and internal promotions to fill those gaps.
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They’ve also seen their commitments swell, with restricted free agent Leo Carlsson becoming the NHL’s highest-paid player for 2026-27 unexpectedly after signing a five-year, $90 million offer sheet that was further weighed down by its bonus-heavy structure. As they dealt with that situation, they also saw Pavel Mintyukov’s number come in well above projections as a potential offer sheet loomed.
Perhaps most importantly, their leading goal scorer and point producer from last season, forward Cutter Gauthier, remained unsigned on Wednesday. With a little over $9 million in cap space presently, per PuckPedia, offloading Kreider’s $6.5 million cap hit and some other paper-straightening moves could help seal a deal with Gauthier.
Gauthier, 22, has limited leverage for the upcoming season since he is not eligible for an offer sheet, but is a franchise cornerstone, meaning the Ducks will undoubtedly be looking to sign him for a competitive salary over a multiyear term.
They open training camp in just eight days, and GM Pat Verbeek has impetus to get Gauthier signed before then. In recent years, negotiations that dragged into camp for lottery picks Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale and Mason McTavish all led to subpar campaigns in terms of health and performance for those players.
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