The Anaheim Ducks placed forward Chris Kreider on unconditional waivers Wednesday for the purpose of terminating his contract, NHL.com reported, a move that would make the 35-year-old an unrestricted free agent if he goes unclaimed.
Kreider had one season remaining on the seven-year, $45.5-million contract he signed with the New York Rangers on Feb. 24, 2020, a deal carrying a $6.5-million average annual value.
The timing is a salary cap calculation. With training camps opening next week, Anaheim needs room under the $104-million cap to sign restricted free agent forward Cutter Gauthier, who led the club last season with 41 goals and 69 points. The Ducks have already committed heavily this summer, matching a five-year, $90-million offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers for centre Leo Carlsson on July 9, an $18-million annual cap charge, and signing forward A.J. Greer to a four-year contract and defenceman Pavel Mintyukov to a five-year deal in July.
Kreider had 50 points, on 22 goals and 28 assists, in 75 regular-season games in his first season with Anaheim, and seven points, on two goals and five assists, in 12 playoff games. The Rangers traded him to the Ducks on June 11, 2025, for forward prospect Carey Terrance and a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Over 14 NHL seasons with New York and Anaheim, Kreider has 632 points, on 348 goals and 284 assists, in 958 regular-season games, plus 83 points, on 50 goals and 33 assists, in 135 playoff games. He has reached 20 goals 11 times. His career-best 52 in 2021-22 is tied with Adam Graves for the second-most in a season by a Ranger, behind the 54 by Jaromir Jagr in 2005-06.
The Ducks went 43-33-6 last season, finished third in the Pacific Division and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18. They eliminated the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference First Round before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Elsewhere across the league, the days before camp brought a run of contract and status stories rather than transactions.
NHL.com reported Tuesday that defenceman Quinn Hughes is in no rush to sign a new contract with the Minnesota Wild before training camp opens. Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Zach Werenski, the subject of off-season trade speculation, told NHL.com that “Columbus is where I want to be.” Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat said he wants “obviously to stay” with the club despite uncertainty around its direction.
On the health front, Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov is described as fully recovered and ready to play after missing all of last season with a knee injury, according to NHL.com. The New Jersey Devils, meanwhile, become the latest club to enter camp planning to carry three goaltenders.
The 2026-27 regular season opens Sept. 29. The Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place that night.
Sources: NHL.com reporting dated Sept. 9 and Sept. 10, 2026. Photo: Chad Nathan via Unsplash. The image is an illustrative photograph of an empty hockey arena and does not show the Anaheim Ducks or any arena named in this article.
