"I want to win": Kadri hopes Flames will be buyers at the trade deadline
The Calgary Flames are expected to be sellers between now and the March 8 trade deadline, but Nazem Kadri is hoping that will change.
The Flames have been playing some of their best hockey of the season as of late, as they are riding a four-game winning streak that has seen them defeat the Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, and LA Kings. Kadri is hopeful that the recent streak could change management’s approach.
“I’m never really on board to be a seller,” Kadri told reporters this morning. “I want to win. I think we’ve got a pretty resilient character group inside the dressing room that is capable of some pretty good things.”
Despite the improved play, the Flames remain five points shy of the Nashville Predators for a wild-card position. That has most believing they will soon ship out Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev, both of whom are set to become UFA’s this offseason.
The Flames have already watched two teammates shipped out this summer, as Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm were sent to the Vancouver Canucks in separate deals. Seeing friends go is a tough part of the business, and Kadri is hoping the Flames have seen the last of it for this season.
“I enjoy my teammates’ company, so I’m hoping that everyone stays, really,” Kadri said.
"We're not trying to look far ahead. Break this into small segments and try to stay as consistent as possible."
Nazem Kadri speaks on the team mindset on a day-to-day basis. pic.twitter.com/XOxUhEkJkY
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) February 28, 2024
Kadri chose to join the Flames on a seven-year, $49 million deal as a free agent in 2022. Having won a Stanley Cup just months prior with the Colorado Avalanche, he came to Calgary hoping those winning ways would continue. He’s done everything in his power to make that happen this season, as he leads the Flames with 51 points through 59 games.
Though it still feels likely that the Flames will be sellers, their current win streak may have general manager Craig Conroy reconsidering. They have three more games remaining between now and the trade deadline, with the first coming on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. If they are able to put together yet another victory, Conroy will be forced to make some tough decisions one way or the other.
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