The Anaheim Ducks placed veteran forward Chris Kreider on waivers in the first step to terminate his contract, a person with knowledge of the move confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the Ducks have not announced the decision.<\/p>\n
Kreider is a 14-year NHL veteran who completed his first season in Anaheim and was entering the final year of his contract. By terminating the contract, the Ducks will free up $6.5 million in salary cap space.<\/p>\n
Anaheim\u2019s cap situation was handcuffed after the team re-signed Leo Carlsson<\/a> by matching the Philadelphia Flyers’ five-year, $90 million offer sheet this summer. The team also re-signed Pavel Mintyukov<\/a> to a five-year, $36 million contract this summer, while Cutter Gauthier remains unsigned coming off a 41-goal season.<\/p>\n Carlsson was disappointed by the news of Kreider’s pending departure while speaking to reporters in Las Vegas at the NHL\/NHLPA preseason player media tour.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll miss him of course. I love him. So it sucks,\u201d Carlsson said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the hard part,\u201d he added, knowing his contract played a role in the decision. \u201cHe\u2019s leaving, but he\u2019s also really happy for me as well when I talked to him. It\u2019s a hard business. It\u2019s weird.\u201d<\/p>\n Kreider, 35, must first clear waivers, after which he would become an unrestricted free agent. He had 22 goals and 50 points in 75 games last season. Overall, he\u2019s an 11-time 20-goal-scorer who spent his first 13 seasons with the New York Rangers.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this story.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n