Two Significant Updates on Nazem Kadri Trade Talk

Nazem Kadri, Calgary Flames center, during pregame warmup

As the Calgary Flames continue their season-opening swoon with their 8th straight loss on Friday night, talk starts to ramp up about when the Flames' fire sale might begin. There are a number of veterans that rival teams would be ready to pounce on, and perhaps none moreso than Nazem Kadri, given the great demand for centers around the league.

His name has been floated on the rumor mill over the past year, but the idea of a trade is usually shot down. Now, insider Elliotte Friedman has brought us the latest on Kadri, on his Hockey Night in Canada segment—and there are a couple of big factors to consider.

There is zero chance—zero—that he is going anywhere before he plays in game number 1,000. He's at 994 right now, and it's obviously a huge deal for him, his family, and the Flames and nothing will happen until that 1000th game is played soon.
The other thing, it came out this week, is that his trade status has changed. He no longer has a full no trade clause, he's got a 13-team no-trade list. And... one thing that's happening is, all these teams are trying to find out 'Am I on that list? Because if I am, and I want him, what are we going to have to do to sell him on the potential of coming to us?'—if Calgary decides to go that route.

Kadri still has three more seasons on his deal after this one, on a $7 million cap hit. That would take him until his age-38 season in 2029. He had a career-high 35 goals last season for the Flames, and has a Stanley Cup on his resume from the 2022 Colorado Avalanche.

We know that Kadri is happy in Calgary and, to this point, has not indicated any desire to leave. But with the team off to a dreadful 1-7-1 start, dead last in the NHL, perhaps he soon decides that, at the age of 35, he wants to have another chance at a Cup before his time in the league is up.

Some of the teams that have been linked to interest in Kadri are the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montréal Canadiens, and Vancouver Canucks, among many others.