3 Teams Who Could Trade For Nazem Kadri

After his third postseason suspension in four years, Nazem Kadri is once again in trade talks. The Colorado Avalanche have every right to be angry at him, as his absence was detrimental in the team’s series against the Vegas Golden Knights. It is immensely disappointing, as the Avalanche had all the tools to win the Stanley Cup this year. Yet, Kadri’s dirty hit on Justin Faulk essentially crushed their dreams.

This is exactly what would lead to Kadri being traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs, too. There is certainly some risk in acquiring him because of this, but there will still be plenty of interest around the league. When he plays the game correctly, he not only provides a great deal of offense, but also fantastic defensive play. He is a marvelous second-line center option because of this.

These teams could be excellent fits for him.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers had an extremely disappointing season. They had high expectations in the East Division, but things quickly went sour due to unreliable goaltending and an overall lack of depth. Thus, the team could and ultimately should elect to be aggressive this off-season. They have the core to make things happen, but they would benefit from a bit of changes to their lineup. 

Kadri could be a valuable middle-six center for them, which certainly would help their chances next season. Furthermore, Nolan Patrick also wants out of Philadelphia, so he could be the starting point in a potential move. With this city also having deep love for their tenacious and physical players, Kadri would quickly blossom into a fan favorite, too.

Chicago Blackhawks

Although the Chicago Blackhawks missed the playoffs, they ended up exceeding initial expectations. In fact, a lot of experts felt that this team would be the worst team in the entire league. This is because they had no true starting goalie, while also having long-term injuries to both Jonathan Toews and Kirby Dach. However, they did quite well for a large portion of the season due to rookie goalie, Kevin Lankinen.

Chicago has a lot of money to work with and could look to better their roster this off-season. With Toews’ career in jeopardy, Kadri would be a spectacular replacement. They have the tools to make this happen, and to be blunt, they owe it to veterans like Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. Kadri would really help solidify their forward group, and he would be given a large role there. Thus, it has all the makings of being a beneficial move for both parties.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs could very well look to bring back Nazem Kadri. Although he did make monstrous mistakes in back-to-back postseasons to end his tenure there, they have missed him since. They of course were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs again this year. They did not have the forward depth needed to go deep into the postseason, which is unacceptable with the elite core they possess.

The Maple Leafs would need to be clever in finding a way to get Kadri to fit into their salary cap, but it would be worth it. He loved the city immensely during his tenure there and would make their center group nothing short of impeccable. It also would help the team get pushed around far less, too.

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