Calgary Flames might trade Kadri back to his old team
The trade speculation surrounding Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri is continuing to swirl.
There had been whispers about Kadri being moved dating back to training camp, but those have since picked up tenfold after several reports that the 35-year-old has informed management he would like to be dealt to a Stanley Cup contender.
Several teams, including the Dallas Stars, Utah Mammoth, and Montreal Canadiens, have been listed as potential suitors. There is one in particular that is drawing a ton of attention, however, in the Colorado Avalanche.
After trading Samuel Girard to the Pittsburgh Penguins last week, the Avalanche are currently sitting with $9.8 million in cap space. In other words, they have the money to make a splash, and going after Kadri would make perfect sense.
The Avs currently have Jack Drury as their third-line centre, which simply won’t cut it come playoff time. Kadri, who leads the Flames with 41 points, would provide a massive upgrade. Better yet, the organization is extremely familiar with him.
“Definitely, things are picking up with talks between the Avalanche and the Flames,” Chris Johnston said on The Chris Johnston Show.
“Right now, the way it looks is that Colorado could be at the front of list. We’re down to one phone call territory now, where everything could change at a moment’s notice.”
Kadri spent three seasons with the Avalanche before signing his seven-year deal with the Flames. He not only helped lead the Avs to a Stanley Cup in 2022, but also put up a career-high 87 points that same season. By all accounts, management wanted to keep him around, but didn’t have the money to do so.
Kadri does have a 13-team no-trade clause in his deal, but he would almost certainly accept a trade to Colorado without any sort of hesitation. There are still plenty of players from that 2022 Stanley Cup-winning roster on the team, which would make for a seamless transition.
What can’t be ignored, of course, is that Kadri’s contract doesn’t expire until the end of the 2028-29 season. His $7 million cap hit may not hurt the Avs this season, but it could become a problem down the road. Sitting first in the NHL standings, however, Avs management may choose to pull the trigger on a deal and worry about the rest of the contract at a different time.
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