The Colorado Avalanche currently have the best record in the National Hockey League and are looking to improve their roster before the NHL Trade Deadline. They have already made moves, including an Avalanche trade for Nicolas Roy from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
As the Avs look to win their first Stanley Cup since 2022, they nearly brought back a member of that 2022 team before pivoting to Roy, according to Drew Livingstone of SDPN.
“Sounds like Calgary and Colorado had a deal in place for the Avs to reunite with Kadri with the Flames retaining some of the contract. Flames ownership stepped in and kiboshed it so the Avs pivoted to landing Nicolas Roy from the Maple Leafs,” Livingstone posted on X, formerly Twitter.
There has not been a reason given for why Kadri was not reunited with the Avalanche, although it could have been the possibility that the Calgary Flames would have had to retain some of his salary in order to get the deal done, according to hockey insider Elliotte Friedman.
“Prior to trading for Nicolas Roy, Colorado and Calgary did discuss Nazem Kadri. I have to assume the same picks Toronto received (a first and a fifth) were available, and there was an understanding of some level of retention. Never got over the finish line,” Friedman wrote.
Kadri was the seventh overall selection in the 2009 NHL Draft by the Maple Leafs and was with the franchise through the 2018-19 season. That offseason, he was traded to the Avalanche, spending three years with the team. He most notably racked up 15 points in 16 games in the 2022 NHL Playoffs, helping the team win Lord Stanley.
Kadri does have a modified no-trade clause on his contract, but a deal could still be done to move him from the Flames before the deadline.
For all of the NHL Trade Deadline reporting ahead of the Friday 3 p.m. ET deadline, stick with ClutchPoints as stories break and develop.
