Now that Nazem Kadri’s 1,000th NHL game is behind him, trade speculation surrounding the Calgary Flames centre will almost certainly ramp back up.
The Flames won big on Kadri’s milestone night, defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1 on Wednesday to secure their first winning streak of the season. Calgary, however, still has the league’s worst points percentage (.333) after enduring an eight-game losing streak last month.
Centres, especially those with winning pedigrees, are hard to find, which is why Kadri is considered a hot commodity. The 2022 Stanley Cup champion is in Year 4 of a seven-year, $49 million contract that comes with a 13-team no-trade list, according to PuckPedia.
“The higher the stakes, the more he elevates his play,” Flames coach Ryan Huska told reporters Tuesday. “For a young guy, what I would like them to see is just that. When you have a situation or a chance in a key game to bring your best, you find a way to do it, no matter what the situation is. That’s what (Kadri) does so well. He’s ultra-competitive. He’ll do whatever he has to do to score (and) help the team win, whether it’s a fight (or) a hit, whatever the case may be to change (the) momentum of a game. He’s a gamer. He comes to play each and every night.”
Kadri, 35, has a team-leading 11 points for an offence that ranks near the bottom of the league in both actual (31st) and expected (27th) goals per game. Despite Calgary’s ineffectiveness in the attacking end, Kadri has done his part to try to change that.
Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (174) and Chicago’s Connor Bedard (119) are the only forwards with more controlled entries than Kadri this season (118). Kadri also ranks inside the top 10 at his position in cycle and forecheck scoring chances, respectively.
“He’s a big-time player, and he’s played in a lot of big games in his career,” said Flames forward Joel Farabee, who set up Kadri on an odd-man rush for his fourth goal of the season Wednesday. “He’s such a good leader around here, and he’s such a great guy.”
So where could Kadri land?
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reported Wednesday that the Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens are in the market for a top-six centre. Neither team is on Kadri’s no-trade list, according to Kypreos, who also noted that the Carolina Hurricanes are not among Kadri’s approved clubs.
The Canucks’ desire to address their centre depth is well known, and second-line centre Filip Chytil has been out for nearly three weeks with no official timetable for his return. As a result, Lukas Reichel has been anchoring the second line since being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks last month. He has zero points in seven games, and Vancouver has been outscored 9-3 during his minutes at 5-on-5. Kadri would be an immediate upgrade for the Canucks, who are off to a 7-8-0 start this season.
As for the Canadiens, they lead the Atlantic Division with 20 points. Montreal’s nine wins through 14 games are its most since 2016, when the team won 12 of its first 14 games.
Montreal’s top line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky is electric, outscoring opponents 9-3 and generating 59.6 per cent of the expected goals at 5-on-5. Rookie Oliver Kapanen has been a nice surprise with eight points as the Canadiens’ second-line centre, but if the front office is looking for more experience down the middle, then Kadri makes sense on paper.
Kadri’s skating ability would suit the Canadiens’ attack, which is tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for second in the league in rush scoring chances.
“There’s no question that’s the name that is being discussed,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman told Daily Faceoff’s “Morning Cuppa Hockey” podcast earlier this week. “I definitely think if it comes to a point where (Kadri’s) on the market, Montreal would be very high on that list. Montreal would be very interested, and Montreal would have what Calgary would want.”
Another potential fit could be the Detroit Red Wings, who are right behind the Canadiens in the Atlantic Division and have missed the playoffs for nine consecutive seasons. Detroit is relying on 21-year-old Marco Kasper as its second-line centre, which has produced underwhelming results. The idea of Kadri being flanked by Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat, whose 55 scoring chances are tied for fifth in the league, is intriguing.
