The Calgary Flames are one of the prime NHL Trade Deadline sellers ahead of next Friday, and it's almost certain that veteran forward Nazem Kadri will be one of the casualties as the club continues to rebuild in 2025-26.
Kadri is open to a trade to a contender, as TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Insider Trading earlier this week, and there might not be a better fit than the team he won a Stanley Cup with in 2022.
The Colorado Avalanche are looking to upgrade their forward group ahead of Friday's deadline, and The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported on Friday that there could be a match there.
“[Kadri] 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,” LeBrun wrote in his latest NHL trade column.
“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.”
All three of Kadri, Coyle and O'Reilly have played for the Avalanche at some point in their respective careers. But the Columbus Blue Jackets are right in the thick of the playoff race and unlikely to trade Coyle in the midst of an excellent campaign.
It's a similar story with O'Reilly and the Predators, and LeBrun believes the Flames could wait to see if he is traded at some point in the coming days before making a decision on Kadri's future.
“It probably makes sense for Calgary to see what happens with O’Reilly in Nashville before getting a better sense of the market return for a comparable No. 2 center,” the hockey insider wrote. “O’Reilly’s contract (one more year at $4.5 million) is more appealing, so the domino would make sense with O’Reilly going first to set the price.”
Nazem Kadri was a catalyst in Avalanche's 2022 Stanley Cup run
Kadri is certainly not as young or as effective as he was when he recorded 15 points in 16 games in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs — en route to his first championship.
He's now 35, and still has three years remaining on his contract. He signed that pact shortly after finishing celebrating with Colorado, and four years later, there's a legitimate chance he returns to Denver.
But the idea of keeping Kadri at that steep of a price for three more seasons could cause some front offices to hesitate, LeBrun speculates.
“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.”
It's looking more and more likely that Kadri is going to be traded before next Friday, and he has already proven that is the perfect 2C on a contending team. He scored two goals in Thursday night's 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks, and is up to 41 points in 57 games in 2025-26.
It's going to be interesting to see where the London, Ontario native ends up as he chases a second championship this spring.
