TORONTO — With his team’s season spiralling, trade speculation swirling, and a milestone in sight, Nazem Kadri will return to Toronto on Tuesday in the eye of the storm.
Long the focal point of any return date at the Scotiabank Arena he grew up in, the man who spent ten years as a lightning rod for Leafs controversy is unshaken by the media mob that will surround him following the Flames’ morning skate.
Only the naive would think the 35-year-old will offer up anything to contribute to the notion he might want off of the Flames’ listing ship of a season, or that he’s anticipating a move shortly after his 1,000th game celebration.
He’s too savvy to add fuel to the fire.
“I don’t think there’s anything, from a media PR standpoint, that I haven’t seen,” shrugged the native of nearby London, Ont., who has spent the bulk of his career under the intense glare of a media spotlight he’s long handled with aplomb.
“I’ve had to approach a lot more difficult situations than something like this. So for me, it’s really nothing that draws my attention. Obviously, there’s going to be some questions about it. I’m okay to answer them, but at the end of the day I’m focused on winning hockey games.”
Asked in a one-on-one chat how he’ll answer questions about his future, he breaks into a mischievous grin.
“I’m going to say I’m focused on winning hockey,” smiled Kadri, eyes widening.
“That’s all I care about.”
Kadri has long kept people guessing on how long he’ll be content to remain a Flame.
After all, he certainly didn’t sign up for a rebuild three years ago when Brad Treliving inked him to a seven-year deal via free agency.
But after seeing a handful of core veterans leave, Kadri has taken great pride in taking several rookies under his wing as a mentor who simultaneously potted a career-high 35 goals last year.
He’s a leader and first-line centre in Calgary, where he is as valuable a commodity as the Flames have, whether he’s in the lineup or as a valuable trade chip should the club shift from a hybrid rebuild (hybuild) into a stripped-down approach that the team’s horrific start may precipitate.
Kadri played a key role in the team’s first win in nine outings Sunday, but at 2-7-1, the last-place Flames may soon have to face the reality that their focus should be more on accruing lottery tickets for the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes than chasing the last playoff spot in vain.
If so, almost every contender in the league would love to shoehorn him into their lineup.
However, as long as the Flames believe they still have a chance at a playoff spot, he’s too valuable to trade, which means he’s a cinch to remain with the club for his 1,000th NHL game at home against Columbus Nov. 5.
“Incredible, man, it’s honestly hard to believe,” said Kadri of his milestone.
“It’s a surreal moment. It’s a moment of reflection that you can kind of think about all the people that have helped you get to that point. It’s certainly not an easy achievement, and to be able to do it with this team, and these guys in this organization is special for me.”
Kadri’s journey to 1,000 games has been anything but smooth.
Drafted seventh overall by the Leafs in 2009, his decade in Toronto found him at the centre of various controversies, which included playoff suspensions in 2018 and 2019, which cost the Leafs dearly and nearly derailed his career.
“Those are some of the most difficult times in my career,” admitted Kadri.
“Having to kind of face the music, and be a man about it, be accountable about it. I felt like I did that with as much grace as I possibly could. I think in hindsight, people really appreciated the honesty and the authenticity. It’s obviously something you learn from. And I think I bounced back pretty well.”
In time, sure.
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But in those moments, when Leaf Nation blamed Kadri’s missteps for series losses, he wondered what the future held.
“You always wonder if you are at a crossroad in your career, when an organization might be looking to pivot in a different direction, and you wonder ‘what’s next?’” said Kadri, who has three years left on his deal.
“But for me, I’m a pretty competitive person, and I feel like any situation I’m thrown in, I’m going to be able to figure it out. So, I was confident, but still uncertain.”
With the no-trade clause in his contract gone this season, perhaps he’s wondering once again if his time with an organization is coming to an end.
If so, he’ll bounce back again, to be sure.
The trade from Toronto to Colorado in 2019 led to a Stanley Cup in 2022, and the lucrative deal with Calgary followed.
But now, with the Flames’ plans in flux, Kadri finds himself back in the spotlight in the city that raised him, and the media gauntlet that never quite let him breathe.
“That’s something that I kind of just prepare for, playing there,” said Kadri of the anticipated attention that comes with his homecomings.
“I know really what to expect. I know a lot of the media guys there, so for me it really doesn’t change. It’s always nice to go back home, see your family and have them be in attendance to watch me play.”
That family will be in the building Tuesday, watching the man with 995 games under his belt inch closer to a milestone even he considered far-fetched at best.
“Even when I dreamed of playing in the NHL, I didn’t think it would be for this long,” he said. “I’m still feeling good and looking to add on to that. For me, it’s a dream come true… It’s going to be a pinch-me moment for sure.”
After that, whatever reality he’ll have to deal with will be taken in stride by a veteran who has seen it all.
