Bruins Should Pursue Kreider Acquisition – The Hockey Writers – Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins have been linked to Chris Kreider for the majority of his career. The Massachusetts native was a first-round pick of the New York Rangers in 2009 and established himself as an elite power forward throughout his time in the NHL. The veteran forward was traded to the Anaheim Ducks last offseason but after one season in California, he and the team have mutually agreed to place him on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract, per Elliotte Friedman. This move will give the Ducks some additional cap flexibility after a tumultuous offseason while simultaneously allowing Kreider to join a team on the East Coast, which is his preference.

Kreider has reportedly made it clear, per Friedman, that he will not report to a team he does not want to play for, which could limit his potential destinations if he’s claimed off waivers. Enter the Boston Bruins.

Kreider Still an Impact Player

Though Kreider is 35 years old and not the player he once was, there’s no denying that he can still play at a high level in the NHL. The 6-foot-3, 232-pound winger scored 22 goals and 50 points in 75 games last season and has scored 20 or more goals in 11 seasons, including each of the last eight seasons. He likely won’t ever reach the highs he reached during his prime with the Rangers, when he scored upwards of 35 goals and even touched 52 during the 2021-22 season, but he should still be a valuable piece to a team looking for size and scoring.

Though the Bruins may not be considered elite contenders in the NHL, they did return to the postseason last season after a one-year absence and could give Kreider a chance to finish his career in the state where he grew up and very close to the city he played for well over a decade.

Kreider Would Improve Bruins Roster

By adding J.J. Peterka this offseason, the Bruins indicated that there was a clear need for additional scoring on the roster. The issue, however, was losing Viktor Arvidsson and his 25 goals to the Detroit Red Wings in free agency, meaning they effectively replaced one player with another without actually adding to their goal-scoring production.

While taking on Chris Kreider’s $6.5 million cap hit is unlikely, the Bruins should absolutely have interest in signing him to a cheaper deal on the open market. At the right price, Kreider would give Boston another proven goal scorer without requiring the team to sacrifice additional assets.

As it stands, the Bruins have several players competing for top-six roles. It’s fair to assume that David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, Peterka and Pavel Zacha are locked into top-six roles. Elias Lindholm and Casey Mittelstadt should also be penciled into top-six roles ahead of training camp, but that doesn’t mean an addition like Kreider, or roster players such as James Hagens, newly extended Fraser Minten or even Marat Khusnutdinov, shouldn’t be factored into the equation. Having too many players who can fill top-six roles is a good problem to have.

The Bruins also have the luxury of versatility in their lineup, with Zacha, Mittelstadt and Hagens all being natural centers who can also play on the wing. If Kreider is added to the roster, at least one of these players would likely remain down the middle, with other players shifting throughout the lineup to best accommodate fit and chemistry.

Kreider and the Bruins seem like a match made in heaven, but it’ll ultimately come down to whether the Bruins are interested, Kreider wants to play in Boston, another team makes a waiver claim or Kreider views another team as a better fit based on geography, finances or the team’s chances of contending.