‘A little bit bizarre': Calgary Flames centre Nazem Kadri addresses persistent trade speculation
Across his three campaigns in Calgary, Kadri has led all Flames with 88 markers — next on that chart is fellow forward Blake Coleman at 63 — and 198 points.
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He tallied 35 times this past season, a new career-high, and set another personal best in ice-time, averaging 19:21 per night.
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'It's been excellent, it's been excellent,' Kadri told Knight Shift when asked about his current hockey home. 'Calgary is such a great city, especially for the family and I. Very scenic and beautiful, and we've got some good players along the way. So I appreciate the C of Red, for sure.'
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That won't stop some in Toronto from daydreaming about how he'd look in blue. It doesn't require much imagination, since he played 561 games on behalf of the organization that made him a first-round draft choice in 2009.
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As the rumours swirl, remember there was a widespread assumption last fall that Kadri would prefer to be traded to a contender rather than stick around through a retool, but he told reporters during training camp to 'just pump the brakes' on those questions because he believed the Flames could surprise some people in 2024-25.
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While they definitely did that, they ultimately missed the playoffs due to the tiebreaker, tying the record for most points by a crew that failed to qualify for the spring dance.
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As Conroy & Co. shoot for a spot among the elite eight in the Western Conference, trading Kadri would seem like a step in the wrong direction. Perhaps they could be persuaded by a package that included a highly touted prospect, but it's most likely that No. 91 will be skating as Calgary's first-line centre for the foreseeable feature, with Jonathan Huberdeau on his left wing and either Matt Coronato or Adam Klapka on his right.
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For his part, Kadri doesn't seem to be losing any sleep over the continuing speculation. Set to join the NHL's silver-stick club in the early stages of this coming season, he has been around long enough to know that the online rumblings are part of the business.
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It must be reassuring that he currently has a full no-move clause, meaning he'd have to approve any potential change of address.
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