We have potentially the trade of the deadline, with Nazem Kadri and a 2027 fourth-round pick being traded to the Colorado Avalanche. The Calgary Flames will receive a 2028 first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick, Victor Olofsson and Max Curran. The Flames will retain 20 percent of Kadri’s contract, which is $1.4 million, as part of the deal.
What the Avalanche Are Getting
Avalanche fans are already familiar with him, but Kadri is the ideal third-line centre for any team. He is a physical presence in a lineup and has found a way to score goals on one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL. While his stats this season haven’t been fantastic, with just 10 goals and 29 assists in 59 games, he scored 35 goals just last season for the Flames.
Trade talks around Kadri have been there since his first year in Calgary, where it seemed everything went wrong for the Flames. The Jonathan Huberdeau trade happened in the same offseason as the Kadri signing, and nothing gelled. That trade is now regarded by many as one of the worst trades in NHL history.
Related: Panthers are Winning the Matthew Tkachuk Trade
Kadri is a fantastic player, but his age and contract concern me for the future. He is already 35 and under contract for another three seasons after this one, where he is making an average annual value of $7 million. Even with the salary cap going up, it is pretty pricey; of course, if they win the cup with Kadri, none of this will matter.
New Stanley Cup Favorite?
The biggest weakness with the Avalanche lineup was the center position heading into the deadline. After the deadline, Colorado acquired a new third- and fourth-line center.
A center lineup of Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri and Nicolas Roy is elite depth. With a lineup that was very top-heavy before the deadline, it looks like that will no longer be a problem.
With the league being so wide open this season, Colorado is my new favorite to win their second Stanley Cup in five years.
The Flames Continue Their Rebuild
The Flames get a first- and a second-round pick as part of the deal. They now have six first-round picks in the next three seasons.
I doubt the Flames will use all six selections in the first round over the next three years, which means these picks could be ammo for future deals.
They also received a prospect in Max Curran, who has posted 14 goals and 27 assists for a total of 41 points in 31 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Flames general manager Craig Conroy did well to acquire assets in this deal when there was some concern with Kadri’s contract length, price, as well as him being 35 years old.
