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Calgary Flames trade Nazem Kadri in surprise late deadline deal

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Mar 6 2026, 9:04 pm
Calgary Flames trade Nazem Kadri in surprise late deadline deal
Sergei Belski/Imagn Images

Nazem Kadri is going back to the Colorado Avalanche.

The Calgary Flames were expected to be sellers heading into this year’s trade deadline, and in the final few minutes of the day, they were able to move out one of the biggest fish available in Kadri.

The Flames will also be sending a 2027 fourth-round pick in the deal. Coming back their way is a conditional 2028 first-round pick, a conditional 2027 second-round pick, forward Victor Olofsson, and prospect Max Curran. The Flames will also be retaining 20 per cent ($1.4 million) of Kadri’s $7 million cap hit which contines until the end of the 2028-29 season.

Kadri has been involved in trade speculation all season long, with several reports suggesting the Avalanche had interest in re-acquiring him. That possibility had seemingly come to an end on Thursday after the Avs acquired Nic Roy from the Toronto Maple Leafs, but GM Chris MacFarland was able to find a way to pull it off.

This trade explains a move made just minutes prior by the Flames, as they brought in Ryan Strome from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a seventh-round pick. Strome, a centre himself, will replace Kadri in an expected top-six role with the Flames. Prior to the trade, he had three goals and nine points in 33 games.

After a career-high 35 goals in 2024-25, Kadri’s production has dropped off this season, though he still leads all Flames skaters with 41 points through 61 outings. Now rejoining a lineup with plenty of firepower, those totals should rise for the remainder of the season.

One player the Flames didn’t move was Blake Coleman. The 34-year-old had interest from several teams, though the offers received clearly weren’t enough to entice GM Craig Conroy to move him. He does have one additional season remaining on his contract with a $4.9 million cap hit.

This marks the third player shipped out this season by Conroy, who has also dealt two of his top defencemen in Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar. If it weren’t already crystal clear, the rebuild is on in Calgary.

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