Flames' Kadri appears to be heating up after slow start

The Calgary Flames’ hot start to the season is all the more impressive when factoring in Nazem Kadri’s struggles.

Kadri was everything as advertised in 2023-24, his second season with the Flames, registering 75 points in 82 games. He was the team’s offensive catalyst, finishing 16 points ahead of second-placed Yegor Sharangovich, who had 59.

Heading into 2024-25, the Flames had some concerns, mostly regarding their blue line and goaltending. Neither has proven to be an issue to this point, as Dustin Wolf is arguably the frontrunner in the Calder Trophy race, while their defencemen as a group have been strong.

Seemingly, no one was worried about Kadri, however, with the expectation being that he would produce similar results. So far, that hasn’t been the case.

Kadri has struggled more often than not through his first 22 games of the season. He has just six goals and 12 points, which, while tied for second in team scoring, is far from the pace he was at last year. His usual strong defensive play hasn’t been great either, as proven by his team-worst -11 rating.

Thankfully, his struggles haven’t negatively impacted the Flames, who sit second in the Pacific Division with a 12-7-3 record. Wins could pick up even more should Kadri heat up, and he may be doing just that, as he was able to snap a seven-game goal drought versus the Ottawa Senators on Monday.

It isn’t just the latest goal that shows Kadri may be turning the corner, either. He now has points in four of his last five games, a stretch in which the Flames have gone 4-1-0.

By no means is he setting the world on fire as of yet, but for a player who has recorded north of 55 points in each of the past three seasons, it seems like he’s getting back to that level of production. He’ll look to continue going in the right direction tonight against the Detroit Red Wings.

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