The Flames have climbed their way back close to a place they’ve been many times before – the mushy middle. That has quieted noise around the veterans in the public sphere, but it hasn’t quieted conversations in NHL front offices. The Flames continue on their plan to get younger and more skilled, while staying competitive. One of the names that has been mentioned is Nazem Kadri, who is now 35 and has three years remaining on his contract after this one.
An anonymous league source tells The Win Column that the Flames could get a higher return for Nazem Kadri right now than the San Jose Sharks got when they traded Tomas Hertl to the Vegas Golden Knights a few years back. They did not indicate whether retention on Kadri’s contract would be a factor in the deal. They did note, however, that the majority of teams are looking for upgrades at centre, and there are practically zero teams committed to being sellers, which would influence the return on the current market. Kadri is the type of player who changes the dynamic of a team and has shown he can compete night in and night out.
A refresher on the Tomas Hertl trade to Vegas
A few deadlines ago, the Sharks and Golden Knights made noise right at the crack of the trade deadline. Hertl was mentioned as a trade target on the rebuilding Sharks, but at 30 years old and six years left at an AAV of 8.137M, it was going to be a tough deal to consummate. But Vegas being Vegas, they made it happen and added key centre depth alongside Jack Eichel and William Karlsson.
The trade was as follows: Tomas Hertl (17% retained), plus San Jose’s 2025 and 2027 3rd rounders in exchange for a Vegas’ 2025 1st rounder and prospect David Edstrom.
Interestingly, the Sharks dealt both Edstrom and the 2025 1st to the Nashville Predators for goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov and a 2025 3rd rounder. So, they turned Hertl and a 2027 3rd rounder for Askarov, who looks to be the Sharks’ elite goaltender of the future. I’m sure if you asked the Sharks if they could do those two moves again, they would.
Should the Flames move Kadri this year?
Kadri has a 13-team no-trade list, so there are lots of options should the Flames look to move him. The source wouldn’t detail which teams were interested in Kadri, other than to say the list of teams that are interested is very long. They didn’t discount the Montreal Canadiens when I personally brought them up. We’ve heard a little bit of talk surrounding the Minnesota Wild, although it’s not clear if they are on Kadri’s trade list or not.
If we go by the framework that this source mentions, I would imagine the Flames could get a 1st rounder and a prospect back for Kadri right now, with the likelihood of an increased return if the Flames retained some money on Kadri’s deal. The majority of fans thought the Flames should explore a Kadri trade in the summer. Should they pull the trigger if they could get the package as described here?
