The Flames are no doubt sellers this NHL trade deadline. The Flame that has dominated the rumour headlines the most has been Nazem Kadri. Despite Kadri’s 13-team NMC, reports have been floating around that he would want to go to a contender. So, if the Flames do move Kadri, which teams would be a good fit? Below are four teams that I think Kadri would be a great addition for.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild made the biggest deal of the year (so far) by bringing in Quinn Hughes. It showed the hockey world that they are for real. However, in that trade, they lost their top-six centre, Marco Rossi. To be true contenders, the Wild need to strengthen their centre depth, and Kadri would do wonders for that. Ryan Hartman and Joel Eriksson Ek are currently the Wild’s top-six centres. But moving one of them down to the third line and having Kadri play with Kaprizov or Boldy should strengthen that lineup. The Wild have the cap space (~$12M) to take on Kadri’s $7M contract. However, the team will need some money to re-sign Mats Zuccarello, Vladimir Tarasenko (if they choose to do so), and Quinn Hughes and Jared Spurgeon in 2027–28. There are obstacles for sure, but there is no doubt that the fit is there.
Montreal Canadiens
Just like Minnesota, the Candiens would benefit a lot by adding another top-six centre to their roster. The Canadiens are on the come-up and are looking to make a run this year in the playoffs. Kadri would likely play on the second or third line. He would be a great mentor for their younger players, like Demidov. The Canadiens would need to be creative with the cap this year. They will only have $1.49M of space to deal with, but Calgary has more than enough room to take on some cap back.
Montreal has done an incredible job drafting young talent as well, as they have one of the best prospect pools in the league. Can the Flames find a way to get one of Michael Hage or Alexander Zharovsky? What about Bryce Pickford, who is on a tear in the WHL right now? I highly doubt it, but it is worth noting that if Kadri goes to Montreal and a prospect is in the deal, there could be a pretty decent prospect coming back to Calgary due to Montreal’s strong prospect cupboard.
Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina is a team that looks like a contender every year, yet somehow, in the playoffs, they can’t get to the Stanley Cup finals. Can adding a proven winner like Kadri help them get past that hump? He would be a solid centre to add behind Sebastian Aho. Kadri would bring even more offence to a team that is already one of the top teams in the league in goals per game. I don’t think Carolina is as big a player as the teams I previously mentioned, but I definitely don’t think it is out of the realm of possibilities for a team that is looking to make the finals again, finally.
It feels inevitable
It is clear as day that the Flames are in a rebuild. This isn’t a hybrid approach. Whether it is this trade deadline or this summer, it really feels like the Flames are going to trade Nazem Kadri. The question is where he ends up. Where else do you think Kadri would be a great fit? Let us know!
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