Senators Should Target Chris Kreider for Top-Six Help – The Hockey Writers – Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators are in the market for a top-six calibre winger, and it isn’t very often that one just falls from a tree, but in the case of Chris Kreider, the Senators have a great opportunity to bring him in and improve the team if he is willing.

After being placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination, Kreider is set to become an unrestricted free agent, free for any team to sign.

Kreider/Ducks Breakup Leads to Free Agency

We have seen contracts being mutually terminated over the past couple of years, with players like Filip Zadina, Mathieu Joseph, and Alex Texier being recent examples. While these players left money on the table, none of them were coming off of a 50-point season.

To recoup his losses, Kreider will be looking for at least $4 million on any new deal, which is more than fair.

The breakup between the Anaheim Ducks and Kreider isn’t about his performance or because he has a bad contract, but with Leo Carlsson signing for $18 million, and Cutter Gauthier looking for north of $15 million, they needed to shed some cap.

It was reported that Kreider’s interests include heading back to the Eastern Conference, and with him being a 35-year-old veteran without a Stanley Cup, it would be safe to assume he is looking to join a potential contender.

Kreider’s one season with the Ducks was quite productive, with 22 goals and 50 points, as well as seven more points in the playoffs. While he isn’t likely to return to his 50-goal form from 2021-22, he has been a very productive player for his entire career. There is no reason to think he can’t replicate last season’s production on a new team in 2026-27.

Kreider Would Solve Top-Six Problem for Senators

As we head into training camp, the Senators still remain with just two bona fide top-six wingers, being William Eklund and Drake Batherson.

Beyond them, the Senators could be in contention for some of the best winger depth in the league.

Defensive specialists like Claude Giroux, Michael Amadio, and Warren Foegele can sneak into the Selke Trophy conversation while still putting up respectable numbers. They also have some younger scoring wingers like Ridly Greig and Fabian Zetterlund, plus veteran Andre Burakovsky.

The problem is the high-end talent. Are any of those players, beyond Batherson and Eklund, capable of posting 50 points like Kreider?

Giroux has shown that he can still produce, though his point total has decreased every season in Ottawa, and he is now 38 years old. Can he still be a piece in the top-six?

With Foegele, he has the speed and skill to play alongside a centre like Tim Stutzle, but has played better in a bottom-six role. The same can be said for Greig and Zetterlund, too.

Burakovsky was a bet the Senators made. He was dominant with the Colorado Avalanche, but after some inconsistent play over the last four seasons, his time as a 50-point player may be over.

Could one of these players break through and be a true top-six calibre player this season? That is entirely possible. Zetterlund potentially reuniting with Eklund could spark something, Greig could take a big step, anything could happen.

Even if the Senators get lucky and have one of those players break through, they still have a hole in their top-six. They currently need two wingers in those roles.

Kreider has never proven to be anything less than a top-six winger, and even in a situation he didn’t necessarily want to be in, he still had a great season. He would work very well alongside Dylan Cozens on the second line.

Would Kreider Sign with Senators?

It makes a ton of sense for the Senators to take a run at signing Kreider, but would Kreider have any interest in joining the Senators?

For most players, especially American players, Canadian teams are a tough sell. The taxes are higher, the climate is mostly colder, and moving the family across the border could be a barrier.

There is nothing any team can do about that. Drawing in American talent isn’t as easy as it once was.

Outside of the nationality factor, the Senators could actually have a very strong pitch for Kreider. There is clearly a role cut out for him on the roster, and the Senators have made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons in spite of sub-par goaltending.

There are a lot of reasons to believe the Senators can continue finding success this season, and Kreider wouldn’t have an insurmountable amount of pressure if he does sign with Ottawa.

When Brady Tkachuk left, he left two voids. One was his production, which general manager Steve Staios replaced by adding Eklund, and Tkachuk’s physicality. Kreider plays a similar way to Tkachuk and could fill that void without having to be the one to push for the point-per-game mark in Tkachuk’s place.

If the Senators get goaltending like they did to end last season, the only question on the roster is the wingers, and if they go into the season with Batherson, Eklund, Kreider, and Zetterlund/Greig as their top-six guys, that question could no longer be there.

The fit makes sense, the Senators have just over $4 million in cap space and could move some money fairly easily, and Kreider is looking to compete.