As we move closer to the NHL Trade Deadline, the noise around teams that aren’t in playoff contention will only grow louder. The Calgary Flames fall into that category. We’ve heard lots of speculation throughout the year involving several names. Now, it’s mainly focused on a couple of names – Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman. TSN’s Darren Dreger had a bit more to say about a Nazem Kadri trade on the latest segment of Insider Trading:
This is an upgraded stance from Dreger, who previously said that Kadri was “open to being moved to a contender”. Now, it sounds like Kadri would like to move on from the Flames. Based on how much his play has taken a turn this season, it makes sense that he’s focused elsewhere. The 35-year-old is competitive as it gets, and he’s not getting any younger. He’s going to miss the playoffs in his fourth straight season with the Flames.
Do the Avalanche make sense as a destination?
On the same segment of Insider Trading, Chris Johnston noted that after making the Samuel Girard/Brett Kulak swap, the Avalanche have cap space and will target a forward, mentioning Nazem Kadri:
Kadri back to the Avalanche makes a lot of sense. It would give them a deadly three-centre punch behind Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson. Kadri is very close with the guys in the Avalanche locker room and most importantly, he’s won a cup with the Avalanche. After one of the most exceptional starts in NHL history and Cale Makar heading into contract discussions this summer, the Avalanche are all in. I would say third line centre is their only notable position of weakness. And by getting Kadri, the Avs prevent teams in their division, like the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars, from landing him.
What could the return look like for Nazem Kadri?
The Flames will be looking for a haul back for one of their top forwards. The challenge with the Avalanche is that while they do have their first round pick in 2027 and 2028, they don’t have many prospects. The team has made four first round selections since 2020, and have traded three of the four away. The one remaining is Mikhail Gulyayev, a left-shot defenceman still playing in Russia.
Two names to keep an eye on in Colorado- one is right-shot winger Gavin Brindley. While he is 5’8″, the gritty two-way winger has 11 points in 42 games in his rookie season in the NHL. While he put up really good numbers in the NCAA with Michigan, the questions about his size and effectiveness in the NHL still continue. He doesn’t seem to fit what Craig Conroy likes in a player.
The other name to think about is goalie Ilya Nabokov. Son of San Jose Sharks legend Evgeni Nabokov, Ilya has put up very good numbers in the KHL this season and feels more likely to make the jump to the NHL soon. The Flames need another goalie behind Dustin Wolf in their system, with none of their AHL goalies recording above a 0.900 save percentage this season. Nabokov may be a smart add, and with the Flames having two Russian goalies in the system already, Nabokov is definitely a guy they have scouted before.
Could a deal be made?
A fit will be harder to find between the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche given the formula that Craig Conroy is looking to follow, but it’s not impossible to make happen. The Flames will likely be asked to retain salary on Nazem Kadri, and if the Avalanche throw in a sweetener, it would be a no-brainer for the team to do so.
There appears to be a good match between the two sides, and with Kadri looking to go back to a contender and having a good connection to the Colorado Avalanche lover room, we could see a Nazem Kadri trade before the NHL Trade Deadline.