Early Nazem Kadri destinations before 2026 NHL Trade Deadline

The Calgary Flames have won five of their last seven games to keep them in the playoff race. Still, the team is three points out of a playoff spot, but four teams stand between them and the last wild card position. This has led to rumors of Flames players being moved, including Nazem Kadri. If Kadri is moved, he will be a sought-after commodity, and here are the best early destinations for the center.

Kadri was the seventh overall selection of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He broke into the NHL at the end of the 2009-2010 season, playing in one game after finishing his time with the OHL London Knights. He would split time between the Maple Leafs and the Toronto Marlies of the AHL over his first three full seasons. The former first-round pick would become a mainstay on the roster starting in 2013-2014, turning into a 30-goal scorer and 50-plus point producer.

He was traded in the summer of 2019 to the Colorado Avalanche. He would spend three seasons in Colorado before signing with the Flames in the summer of 2022. The center is having another solid season with the Flames, finding the back of the net eight times while adding 24 helpers. This places him on pace for 64 points this year. Kadri is in his fourth year of a seven-year deal he signed with Calgary with an AAV of $7 million. In the first three seasons, he had a no-movement clause. That has changed to a 13-team no-trade list, which gives the Flames more flexibility.

Montreal needs a veteran center

The Montreal Canadiens are in dire need of a second-line center, and Kadri would be a perfect fit. The top line is home to Cole Caufield and Alexandre Texier on the wings flanking Nick Suzuki. Suzuki leads the team in points so far this campaign, currently having 14 goals and 32 assists, good for 46 total points. He has also been instrumental in the goal scoring of Caufield. Caufield leads the team in lighting the lamp 20 times this year.

The second line also had solid goal-scoring options. Ivan Demidov has found the back of the net ten times, while Juraj Slafkosvky has scored 15 times. Still, they are not partnered with an assist-producing center currently. Oliver Kapanen has been the second-line center. He has chipped in 13 goals while dishing out just nine assists. Kadri is still a quality goal-scoring option, but he has been great at handing out the assist as well. He has amassed 30 or more helpers in each of the last four full seasons.

Montreal has just $2.76 million in cap space currently, meaning they would need to be creative to bring in Kadri. Still, the Canadiens have already been connected to other options at center, and could find a way to work within the cap and bring in the stud center.

Could a Colorado reunion be in the works for Kadri?

Kadri played for the Avalanche for three seasons, starting in 2019-2020. He was solid in that campaign, playing in 51 games and amassing 36 points. He was also a major player in the playoffs, beating the goaltender nine times while adding nine helpers in 15 playoff games. The center would be good in the 2020-2021 COVID-shortened season, but Kadri’s best season as a professional was in 2021-2022. He played in 71 games, snagging 28 goals and adding a career-high 59 assists. That gave him a career high in points as well with 87. He was also a major factor in the playoffs, scoring seven times and amassing eight assists, as he helped the team lift the Stanley Cup.

Since the center left the team in free agency, the team has struggled to replace him on the second line. They did bring in Brock Nelson, who has been great, amassing 32 points so far this year, but is a different type of player than Kadri. The biggest issues for the Avalanche are trade assets and cap space. The Avalanche are right up against the cap, and would need to find a way to bring in Kadri’s salary. Meanwhile, they have traded many of their top assets in recent years to bring in other players.

Regardless, the Avalanche are the clear top team in the NHL. They have a huge opprotunity to make a run at winning the Cup, and if bringing in Kadri can be the missing piece, they need to find a way to do it.

Florida could use depth for a three-peat

The Florida Panthers have been no strangers to making huge moves near the trade deadline. Last season, it was the Panthers trading for Brad Marchand, on their way to a third straight Stanley Cup Final, and second straight victory. Bringing in a player like Kadri would be another stunner move for the Panthers.  The Panthers are not having their best season. The team is currently 21-16-3, which places them three points outside of a playoff spot. The team is also dealing with plenty of injuries.

Matthew Tkachuk has recently returned to practice and could be back in the lineup soon. Still, the team is without Aleksander Barkov, who is likely to miss the season due to a torn ACL. Anton Lundell and Sam Bennett have been solid on the top two lines for the Panthers at center. Lundell has 13 goals with 18 assists, while Bennett has 13 goals and 17 assists. Regardless of their play, the team has yet to fully replace Barkov. They are tight on cap space, and would need to shed some to bring in Kadri, but the front office has found a way to work that in the past.

With the Panthers looking to make a run for a third-straight Cup, they may need to make some moves to solidify the roster. Adding a player with the versatility of Kadri could be a lot like bringing in Marchand last year. Marchand put up 20 points on the way to winning the Cup last season, and Kadri showed he can be that level of player the last time he was in the playoffs.

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