The trade rumors are swirling, but Nazem Kadri isn’t packing his bags. As the Calgary Flames stumble out of the gate, the veteran center finds his name being tossed around the NHL rumor mill, and frankly, he’s brushing it off. “There will be questions,” Kadri acknowledged, but his focus is purely on “winning hockey games.”
This is the kind of steely, veteran response you want to hear from a leader in your dressing room. But as an NHL analyst, I have to look past the quote. Is this just standard player-speak, or does Kadri truly hold the cards to his own future in Calgary?
Let’s be blunt: this isn’t a surprise. When a team with playoff aspirations, like the Calgary Flames, starts this poorly, the highest-paid veterans are always the first to be mentioned as trade candidates. Kadri, at 35 with a $7 million AAV running through 2028-29, is the most obvious target for pundits to circle.
The $7 Million Question: Kadri’s Contract and the Flames’ Future
Here’s the reality check: it is far too early for the Flames to hit the panic button and go into a full “sell mode.” Flames insider Eric Francis is right on the money; this team needs players exactly like Nazem Kadri if they have any hope of turning this ship around. You don’t win in the NHL by trading away your established, tough-as-nails centers when you hit your first patch of adversity.
From a personal standpoint, I’ve watched Kadri his entire career. He’s a competitor who thrives on pressure. The idea of “rumors” affecting his play is almost laughable. He’s focused on one thing: getting the Flames back into the fight.
However, the business side of hockey is always looming. That $7 million cap hit combined with a 13-team no-trade list makes any potential deal incredibly complex. A contending team would love to have a playoff-hardened player like Kadri, but can they fit that salary? And would Kadri even waive for them? If the Flames are still in the league basement by the New Year, the conversation shifts dramatically. But for now, Kadri’s calm is justified. His job is to play, and he’s right—the Flames need him now more than ever.
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