Chris Kreider gets top billing on new-look for Habs' 1st line

Chris Kreider’s arrival in Montreal was already one of the more intriguing stories heading into Canadiens training camp, but Martin St. Louis wasted little time raising the stakes.

During Thursday’s first on-ice session, Kreider was skating alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield on Montreal’s top line. All three players were wearing red jerseys, an indication that St. Louis was testing them together as his first unit. Juraj Slafkovsky, who has spent much of the past few seasons alongside Suzuki and Caufield, was instead skating with Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen.

That is certainly an interesting development.

When the Canadiens signed Kreider to a one-year contract earlier this week, the expectation was that the 35-year-old veteran could provide some much-needed experience and secondary scoring to a young Montreal lineup. Kreider finished last season with 22 goals and 50 points in 75 games with the Anaheim Ducks, while adding seven points in 12 playoff games. (Reuters)

Now, it appears St. Louis is at least willing to see what Kreider can do with two of Montreal’s most important offensive players.

There is an obvious appeal to the combination. Suzuki is coming off another strong season as Montreal’s top centre and captain, while Caufield has established himself as one of the Canadiens’ premier goal scorers. Kreider, meanwhile, brings an entirely different element to the group.

The veteran winger has made a career out of getting to the difficult areas of the ice, particularly around the crease. NHL EDGE data shows that Kreider ranked in the 93rd percentile among NHL forwards in high-danger shots on goal last season, while his 14 high-danger goals placed him in the 87th percentile. He has also led the NHL in tip-in goals since 2019-20. (NHL)

Put simply, Caufield can beat you with his shot, Suzuki can create plays and control the middle of the ice, and Kreider can make life miserable for opposing defencemen around the net.

It is also worth remembering that Kreider isn't exactly a passenger on this line. He scored a career-high 52 goals with the New York Rangers in 2021-22 and has scored at least 22 goals in each of the past two seasons. (NHL)

Of course, this is only the first day of training camp. Lines can change quickly, and there is no guarantee that Kreider, Suzuki and Caufield will remain together when the regular season begins.

Still, seeing Kreider on the top line is significant.

For years, Montreal has been trying to build a supporting cast capable of taking some pressure off Suzuki and Caufield. Adding a veteran power forward who knows how to score in the playoffs and then immediately putting him beside the team's two biggest offensive stars certainly qualifies as an aggressive experiment.

And for Kreider, there may not be a better opportunity to change the way Canadiens fans see him. After spending much of his career being one of Montreal's most recognizable villains with the Rangers, he now has a chance to become a key piece of the Canadiens' attack.

The first look at Kreider alongside Suzuki and Caufield certainly makes the veteran's arrival in Montreal even more fascinating.