Ducks reportedly closing in on contract termination with veteran forward to clear salary cap room

Update: Kreider has been waived.

Chris Kreider's time in Anaheim may be coming to an abrupt end.

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Ducks and the veteran winger are expected to agree to waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract, a stunning turn for a player who was brought in as a steady veteran presence just over a year ago.

Kreider carries a $6.5 million cap hit this season, and that number has become impossible to ignore as Anaheim works through a much bigger problem.

Cutter Gauthier remains unsigned as a restricted free agent, and his next contract is expected to land well into eight figures annually.

Something has to give, and it looks like Kreider's deal is the one being sacrificed.

Termination waivers are rare and usually reserved for unique circumstances, but the logic here tracks.

Anaheim's books are tight, and general manager Pat Verbeek has been signaling for months that roster moves would be necessary to get Gauthier locked up long term.

Kreider is 35 now and coming off a solid but unspectacular season, which makes him a logical candidate if the front office needed to open up meaningful space in a hurry.

If the move goes through, Kreider would become a free agent able to sign anywhere, while the Ducks would gain the breathing room they need to get a deal done with Gauthier before he can hold out any longer.

It's a risky play for Anaheim, moving on from a veteran who still produces, but it may be the price of building around their young core.

Nothing is official yet, and Friedman himself has not laid out a firm timeline.

Ducks fans should brace for a busy few days as this situation continues to develop.

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