CALGARY — Nazem Kadri’s frustration is evident.
But he insists a recent shattering of his stick on the bench was more situational than it was about the situation he’s in.
Infuriated by yet another fruitless shift, the seated veteran gritted his teeth and angrily snapped his twig on the dasher in front of him, smashing it repeatedly as his two young wingers looked on.
While it’s only natural to believe it was symbolic of just how discouraging it must be for the 35-year-old to be a Flame these days, Kadri passed it off as a meltdown in the heat of the moment.
“I’ve been breaking sticks for years, since I’ve been in youth hockey,” he smiled, injecting levity when asked if there was anything to read into his episode.
“My dad didn’t like that so much, back when sticks were expensive to get. Now, at least, they’re free.
“I think (the stick smash) symbolizes somebody who cares, and that’s all the frustration comes from. I just want the team to do well, and I want us to do well.”
Well, they aren’t.
Sinking in the Western Conference standings with four losses in a row, the Flames now sit seven points behind the three teams tied for the final wild-card spot.
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Two of those teams have two games in hand on Calgary, and only one team in the league has scored fewer goals than the Flames, who would have to leapfrog five teams to play this spring.
For the fourth straight season, playoff hockey likely won’t be played at the Saddledome.
One season removed from a career-high 35 goals, Kadri is stuck at nine, with just one goal and three assists in his last 17 games.
Unable to generate anything of late with a rotating cast of youngsters on his wings, it’s only natural to wonder how much longer Kadri is willing to endure life as a Flame.
Yes, he likes it in Calgary, as does his family.
But with time ticking away on his career, surely he’d prefer another shot at winning a Stanley Cup?
The timelines on a Flames rebuild don’t jive with his career arc, making him one of the most obvious players in the league to put on the list of trade candidates.
The Flames are listening to offers on everyone, and with the recent trade of Rasmus Andersson, an increasing number of fans hope GM Craig Conroy is poised to lean into this lost season by cashing out on vets like Kadri and Blake Coleman.
With three years left on his seven-year, $49 million deal, Kadri is not in complete control of his fate, as he has just 13 teams on his no-trade list.
While most contenders would be keen to add a gamer like Kadri, who was integral to Colorado’s Stanley Cup win in 2022, the length remaining on his contract is problematic for many teams tight to the cap.
However, if he were to walk into Conroy’s office and suggest it was indeed time to part ways, you can bet the GM would work feverishly to honour his wish.
To date, Kadri has not done that.
So, speculation will swirl, well past the Olympic break and into March.
Asked if he felt the noise surrounding his future was any different this year than years past, Kadri shrugged.
“It’s relatively similar, I’ve been dealing with it for a little while,” said Kadri, who sits at minus-23 despite leading the team with 35 points.
“But I mean, in terms of that, I think off the ice, that has kind of a mind of its own. When you show up to the rink, you understand you’re still professional, you have an obligation, and I care about the guys in the dressing room, and I want us to succeed. So that’s the bottom line.”
Kadri wasn’t considered trade bait at last year’s deadline, as the Flames were still battling for a playoff spot.
Plenty has changed, which only adds to the understandable disappointment of a competitor who signed in Calgary before the team started shedding core players.
“Naz is a guy that wants to impact the game every night, and when he’s not, he gets mad at himself, and a lot of times that comes out with what you see sometimes on the bench,” said Flames coach Ryan Huska, who recently reunited Kadri with Martin Pospisil and Connor Zary, with whom he had success last season.
“He’s not happy with the way he’s going, or the way the team is right now. So he wears that. Some guys can hide it well. He’s not a guy that hides it well.”
Huska doesn’t believe the speculation surrounding Kadri has impacted him, as the first-rounder has been subjected to it throughout his high-profile career.
“I bet if you’ve looked from Naz’s first year in Toronto, you’d see the same thing all the way along from him, how fiery he is at different times in his career,” said Huska.
“I mean, you’d see that in October if he wasn’t happy with the way things are going. That’s Nas. That’s the way he’s built. It has nothing to do with speculation.”
