NHL rumors: Why Canadiens are no longer in on Flames’ Nazem Kadri

It has been a disappointing season for the Calgary Flames in 2025-26, as they sit seventh in the Pacific Division. This has led to the team shopping some of their pieces, including the Flames listening to offers for Nazem Kadri. One of the teams that was connected to the Flames forward was the Montreal Canadiens.

Now, the interest of the Canadiens seems to be waning for the former Stanley Cup champion, as outlined by Marco D’Amico of RG.

It has been confirmed that the Canadiens did have interest in the center previously and did their homework on acquiring him. Kadri has a partial no-trade clause, but Montreal was an option for a trade. Adding to the speculation was the work of members of the Calgary front office.

“Calgary head pro scout Steve Pleau was a regular presence at the Bell Centre between November and December, doing little to quiet the idea that something could be brewing between the two clubs,” D’Amico pointed out.

Still, there has been a change since then, and as the trade deadline approaches. To begin with, the Canadiens traded for Phillip Danault, which filled some of the needs for Montreal that would have been filled by Kadri. This gave the team stability at the center position, which would have been a benefit of adding the Flames center.

There is also the growth of Oliver Kapanen. He has been playing on the second line at the center position with Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov. Kapanen started the season slowly, having just seven goals and six assists through the first two months of the season. Since then, he has found the back of the net 10 times while adding seven more assists. With the rookie’s continued growth, the need for another center has declined.

This does not mean that the Canadiens will not make a move before the trade deadline, or that the move is guaranteed not to be Kadri, but it is much less likely now. Montreal may shift the focus to a winger or potential defensive help ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline.

Regardless, the Habs are in a great situation with a young core and looking primed to return to the playoffs. The Canadiens are 31-17-8 on the year, which places them third in the Atlantic Division. They return to the ice for the final time before the Olympic break on Wednesday, visiting the Winnipeg Jets.

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