As it became increasingly clear that Nazem Kadri was likely going to be moved in the months leading up to the NHL’s trade deadline, he wanted to make sure that nobody thought he was desperate to get out of Calgary.
Asking for a move might have reflected poorly on the Flames as a franchise, and Kadri didn’t want that.
Yes, he was open to a trade if it meant joining a contender. It was important to the 35-year-old, though, that the messaging was right.
“I thought I was very clear about that,” Kadri said Tuesday from the Saddledome, where his Colorado Avalanche teammates were set to take on the Flames later in the evening. “Obviously, everyone understands the circumstances and the situation. At the end of the day, I would have never wanted to leave this place, that’s how much I enjoyed it.
“But where things were in the standings, as a veteran player, just to be given another opportunity, some of the best memories of my career have been in the playoffs and I wanted to revisit that.”
That opportunity wasn’t going to present itself with the Flames. At least not this season. Having already dealt Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar before the deadline, it made sense both for the Flames and Kadri himself to pull off a move that saw the organization get Victor Olofsson, the rights to Max Curran, a conditional 2028 first-round pick and a conditional 2027 second-round pick.
The Flames got a couple of pieces that will fast-track their rebuild over the next couple of years and Kadri got the opportunity to return to the Avalanche, who he won a Stanley Cup with in 2022.
Nazem Kadri, flanked by Joel Hanley, left, and Joel Farabee during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 2, one month before he was traded to Colorado.
He joined the Flames later that summer and had three-and-a-half productive seasons during which he led the organization in points, with 239. He was a popular teammate and embraced living in Calgary. But ultimately, given his age and where the Flames are at in their path back to contention, a move was only logical.
“What I can say is the front office was a pleasure to deal with and I obviously have a tremendous amount of respect for them and it’s mutual,” Kadri said. “It was very transparent in our discussions, we knew that if an opportunity like this came to fruition it was something we were definitely going to consider.”
Kadri’s exit was not a contentious one and he’ll be greeted by cheers whenever he returns to Calgary. Unfortunately, a hand injury was set to keep him out of the lineup for Tuesday’s game so there would be no on-ice reunion with his teammates.
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There was lots of catching up with familiar faces on Tuesday morning, though, as Kadri skated alone in anticipation of a return to the Avs lineup in time for the playoffs. Clearly, there are no hard feelings from either side.
It was a trade that proved win-win for everyone involved.
“It feels like it was just yesterday that I was playing here, because I kind of was,” Kadri said. “It’s always nice to be back in the Dome and the city of Calgary, obviously a place I’m very fond of.”