With the March 6th NHL Trade Deadline just eight weeks away, the temperature in Calgary is dropping, but the trade market heat around Nazem Kadri is rising.
If you’ve been watching the Flames slide down the standings—currently sitting among the league’s bottom feeder teams—you know the question isn’t if change is coming, but who will be part of it. NHL Insider Darren Dreger dropped a significant update this week regarding the 35-year-old center. The verdict? Kadri isn’t pushing for a way out, but his ears are open.
“My sense with Nazem Kadri is this: that if an opportunity was presented to go to a top contender in the NHL, then he’d be willing to listen to that,” Dreger reported. It’s a subtle but massive shift. We aren’t talking about a disgruntled star demanding a trade; we are talking about a Stanley Cup champion who knows his clock is ticking and sees the writing on the wall in Alberta.
Why a Kadri Trade Makes Sense for a Contender
Let’s be real—Kadri is the exact type of player GMs lose sleep over in April and May. He brings that rare blend of grit, scoring touch, and “pest” energy that becomes invaluable in a seven-game series. He’s done it before with Colorado, and at 35, the hunger to hoist the Cup one more time is palpable.
While Flames GM Craig Conroy has other assets drawing attention, the “intensity around Kadri is definitely heating up,” according to Dreger. With the Olympic break and a roster freeze looming, contenders don’t have months to deliberate. They need to decide if they want a battle-tested 2C who can drag a team into the fight.
The “Dregs” of the Standings: Forcing Calgary’s Hand?
The reality of the 2025-26 season is harsh for Calgary. As they sit near the bottom of the league, holding onto a $7 million asset like Kadri feels like a luxury they can’t afford—especially if the return can accelerate their retooling process.
Kadri has a 13-team no-trade list that kicked in this season, giving him significant control. However, Dreger’s insight suggests that if a legitimate “top contender” comes calling, that clause won’t be a hurdle. He wants to win. If Calgary can’t offer that right now, expect Conroy to explore the market aggressively before March 6th.
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