The Calgary Flames have not tasted Stanley Cup Playoff hockey since the late Johnny Gaudreau's dramatic Game 7 goal in the 2022 Western Conference Quarterfinal against the Dallas Stars sent them to the second round against the Edmonton Oilers, a series they eventually lost in five games.

Months after that series, the Flames went through a series of major changes. Gaudreau departed via free-agency, signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Not long afterward, the Flames executed a monumental trade, sending Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in return for Jonathan Huberdeau, Cole Schwindt, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, and a 2025 first-round pick.

Since then, Tkachuk and the Panthers have gone to three straight appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, winning the most recent two. Meanwhile, the Flames have yet to play beyond the 82nd game of the regular season.

As part of that monumental summer of change, the Flames signed veteran forward Nazem Kadri, who had just helped the Colorado Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup win since 2001 weeks prior, to a seven-year, $49 million contract.

The Flames, who will soon officially be eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention, already made one major trade in recent weeks by dealing veteran blue liner Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights. And while other figures on the Flames could soon be on the move, the one player who needs a fresh start is Kadri.

Nazem Kadri signed with the Flames in 2022

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Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (91) against the Dallas Stars during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Fresh off helping the Colorado Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup victory since 2001, Kadri agreed to remain in the Western Conference but move north of the border, inking a seven-year, $49 million deal with the Flames.

Taken with the seventh overall selection in the 2009 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kadri would play the first 10 years of his career with the team. He was then traded to the Avalanche in July of 2019 in a blockbuster deal that brought Tyson Barrie, Alexander Kerfoot and a sixth-round pick in 2020 back to the Leafs.

Kadri brought his trademark grinding style of play and key goal-scoring to the Rocky Mountains, eventually helping the Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup victory since 2001. He tallied the game-winning overtime goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final to give Colorado a 3-1 series lead.

Earlier in the postseason, Kadri became the target of threats after colliding with St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, causing Binnington to miss the rest of the series. The threats were taken seriously and referred to local authorities in St. Louis. Kadri responded to the adversity with a statement performance, scoring a hat trick in the following game against the Blues.

Kadri, who tallied a career-high 35 goals with the Flames last season, has experienced a drop-off in production this season, so far having registered just 12 goals with 29 assists through the 57 games that he's played in thus far.

Kadri would reportedly “welcome” a trade from the Flames

In a recent “Trade Rumblings” piece for The Athletic, NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun indicated that Kadri would be receptive to a more favorable situation that helps increase his chances of winning another Stanley Cup title.

“My TSN colleague Darren Dreger mentioned again on Insider Trading on Tuesday that veteran center Nazem Kadri would absolutely welcome a trade to a contender,” LeBrun wrote.

He continued:

“The 35-year-old has three more years on his deal after this season at a $7 million cap hit. That might give some teams some hesitation. Some Cup contenders wish that the contract were at least one year shorter. I know of at least one team that would want the Flames to retain some salary on that deal, which I’m not sure would be a sell in Calgary.

But the dude is a playoff warrior who would upgrade any contender. A reunion in Colorado would make some sense after the Avalanche cleared up cap space this week. As mentioned, though, a reunion with O’Reilly could make sense for the Avs, too. I like Charlie Coyle for Colorado as well, but he may not be available.”

The bottom line for Kadri and the Flames is that it would be best for both parties to make a break from one another. For the Flames, it would free up considerable salary cap space for GM Craig Conroy to work toward acquiring younger assets, while Kadri would escape a difficult situation in Calgary and have the chance to compete for another Stanley Cup ring.

Multiple teams would love to have a player like Kadri on their team for the added Stanley Cup-winning experience and his trademark style of play that works wonders during playoff competition.