The Calgary Flames are one of the NHL’s most intriguing teams heading into the trade deadline. As was expected to be the case, the Flames have struggled this season. They currently sit 29th in the NHL standings with a 23-27-6 record. That has them 11 points out of a playoff spot.
With playoffs well out of the question, the Flames have already begun to sell. That started in mid January when it was announced that Rasmus Andersson, a pending unrestricted free agent, had been traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. That move came as no surprise given his contract status. That said, there could be some players with term that are shipped out as well.
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One name that has gotten quite a bit of attention is Blake Coleman. The 34-year-old has one additional season remaining on his contract with a $4.9 million cap hit. To no surprise, it sounds as though there are a number of teams interested in Coleman, and the speculation that surrounds him likely won’t be dying down until he is either moved or the deadline has passed.
The other big name that continues to float around is Nazem Kadri. The 35-year-old never felt like an option to move ahead of the trade deadline, due in large part to his contract. He signed a seven-year deal with the Flames ahead of the 2022-23 season, meaning he remains signed through 2028-29. He also carries a $7 million cap hit along with a 13-team no-trade clause. Factor that all in, and you have a player who most felt was more likely to be dealt in the summer. Based on a new report, however, that may no longer be the case.
Kadri Hoping to Go Elsewhere
Despite all the outside noise surrounding Kadri, it never felt like a big deal within the Flames organization as to whether or not they moved him. Not only has he been a good leader for some of the younger faces on the team, but it seemed as though he had no issue being in Calgary even with the team’s struggles. That, however, may no longer be the case.
According to a report from TSN’s Darren Dreger on Tuesday, Kadri has recently informed the Flames that he would like to be moved. It’s unclear how adamant he is on that happening in the immediate future, but his desire to go somewhere else has likely made trading him more of an urgent matter for general manager (GM) Craig Conroy.
“The Calgary Flames are still testing the market on Nazem Kadri, who, by the way, wants to be traded at this point,” Dreger said on Insider Trading.
While it had been believed that Kadri was open to joining a Stanley Cup contender, this is the first we are hearing that he has wanted to be traded. Having this information made public will certainly get the attention of other GM’s across the league, which could very well wind up resulting in the 2022 Stanley Cup champion being moved before the March 6 deadline.
Kadri Still Has Value
Though his contract situation is far from ideal, there would certainly be teams interested in adding Kadri. His 39 points on the season are nothing to write home about, but are in large part a reflection of the supporting cast he has. Just last season at the age of 34 he was able to put home a career-high 35 goals, indicating that he still has gas left in the tank.
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Given that Kadri is still a valuable player, this isn’t a case where Conroy can just agree to move him for the sake of making him happy. The offer would have to be one that meets the Flames needs. If that fails to be the case, it can be revisited in the offseason. This latest report from Dreger, however, makes it feel much more likely that he is indeed wearing a different jersey this season.
