Chris Kreider almost never made it to Montreal, and the Canadiens beat their oldest rival to get him.
Pierre LeBrun reported that four or five teams actually had real interest in simply claiming Kreider off waivers.
"But Kreider's agents strongly dissuaded those teams from doing so," LeBrun said, per The Athletic.
The Boston Bruins were among the teams involved in that chase, and losing this one to Montreal stings a little more given the history between these two clubs.
According to NHL Rumour Report, Kreider's desire all along was to end up back in the Eastern Conference.
Kent Hughes didn't wait around to see how that played out. He got a deal done before Boston or anyone else could force the issue through waivers.
The contract itself is built to reward patience. Base salary comes in at just $850,000, with a $1,300,000 signing bonus attached.
The real number nobody expected in this deal
That initial cap hit lands at $2,150,000, well below what most assumed Kreider would cost after 22 goals and 50 points last season.
Performance bonuses can push the deal to a maximum of $3,250,000, capping the total potential value at $5,400,000 for the full year.
The contract also includes a full no-movement clause, giving Kreider complete control over his own destination if Montreal ever wanted to move him.
That protection tells you exactly how much say his camp had in shaping this deal, the same leverage that scared off waiver claims in the first place.
Head coach Martin St-Louis gets a proven power forward at a manageable initial hit, with size and net-front instincts that should help fast-track Juraj Slafkovsky's game.
Montreal finished 48-24-10 for 106 points this season, sixth overall, already trending up before this addition even factors in.
Losing a player like this to Montreal, with a no-movement clause protecting his side of the deal, is exactly the kind of summer Boston would rather forget.
Are you surprised the Bruins lost the race to sign Chris Kreider to Montreal?
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