It has been a disappointing season for the Calgary Flames, as they sit in seventh place in the Pacific Division. This has led to rumors of the Flames trading away some key parts of their roster.
Some of the trade buzz for Flames players is the movement of Nazem Kadri, and he is speaking out about the rumors, according to a report from NHL.com.
“We've had internal chats,” Kadri said. “Obviously, those we'll keep private, but, yeah, we've had discussions and communicated. I think that's what makes it great, is having that open line of conversation and just being able to understand where everybody's at.”
Kadri is in the fourth year of a seven-year contract extension he signed with Calgary ahead of the 2022-23 season. He has an AAV of $7 million and a full three years left on his contract. That could be appealing to some, but he is also 35 years old, which could be an issue for other clubs.
He also has a modified no-trade clause, sitting with a 13-team no-trade list. The list has not been released by Kadri or the Flames. The veteran forward is not the only player who could be getting traded from the team. Blake Coleman is also a candidate to be shipped out of town.
“That's the good thing about ‘Conny,' he's lived it,” Coleman said about his conversations with the Flames general manager. “He's been in my shoes and guys in the room's shoes. There's a lot of mutual respect and understanding the situation on both sides. I don't think it's a lack of appreciation for anyone here, I think it's just the situation we're in.”
Both players could be highly attractive for contending teams. Kadri won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, while Coleman won two championships with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
As the Flames look to make moves, they sit at 23-27-6 on the year, and 11 points outside of a playoff spot. They hit the ice again on Thursday night, visiting the San Jose Sharks in their first game back from the Olympic break.
