Nazem Kadri is back on the Leafs' radar, but the timeline is the real twist
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Nazem Kadri is once again linked to his former club as the Maple Leafs have been kicking the tires of their old forward as Calgary mulls over what to do with him.
The Calgary Flames are not in a great spot right now. While they aren't in the basement of the Pacific Division they are seventh place and sit six points out of a playoff spot currently.
They already traded Rasmus Andersson to the Golden Knights, and there's talks about names like Blake Coleman being dealt as well, but the one name who has been thrown around a ton over the last few months is Nazem Kadri.
Kadri has been quietly one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL over the past few seasons and one of the bright spots for a struggling Flames team that is going through a bit of an identity crisis.
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He's been linked heavily to the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as other Canadian teams like Montreal, however it's his old team that's garnered the most attention.
And it seems like their quest to bring him back hasn't stopped according to TSN's Darren Dreger.
Dreger appeared on TSN's Insider Trading on Tuesday and revealed that the Maple Leafs have continued to kick tires on Kadri as Calgary decides what's best for him.
He explained that Kadri wants to win a Stanley Cup still, as does every player but also wants to do right by the Flames; an organization he clearly has an admiration for:
A lot of us are looking at Nazem Kadri among the contenders who could be on the move. What I can tell you is that there are ongoing discussions between Craig Conroy, the general manager, and Nazem Kadri's camp.
Now that doesn't mean that anything is imminent, but Kadri wants to do what's best for the Flames, and he also wants to win a Stanley Cup.
I would say there's some developing interest, there's been tire-kicking from Toronto, Montreal, Colorado, LA, maybe the Dallas Stars, but there's still a lot of work to get done, and there's no rush as far as Calgary is concerned.
Now that doesn't mean that anything is imminent, but Kadri wants to do what's best for the Flames, and he also wants to win a Stanley Cup.
I would say there's some developing interest, there's been tire-kicking from Toronto, Montreal, Colorado, LA, maybe the Dallas Stars, but there's still a lot of work to get done, and there's no rush as far as Calgary is concerned.
Calgary doesn't really need to do anything however. This isn't an Andersson situation and Kadri is firmly locked into a long-term deal.
The issue is he's 35 years old and his window to win is shrinking every year the Flames falter. Since coming over 2018 he's had finishes of fifth, fifth, fourth, and seventh; he hasn't even sniffed the postseason.
Could Toronto actually bring back Nazem Kadri in 2025-26?
As time goes on Kadri is going to get more antsy about winning one last time, and has been open about a reunion with Toronto; so is it actually possible?
While there will be a fairly expensive cost attached to him, the Maple Leafs could see if GM Craig Conroy is interested in taking on younger and cheaper talent so long as Toronto promises to not ask for retention.
Kadri is a cap hit of $7-million until he's 38, so Toronto is going to be paying him late into his career and won't have the luxury of a John Tavares discount either.
If the Maple Leafs can avoid trading Easton Cowan and give Conroy a package that has some solid mix of youth and veteran experience, it might be enough to sway him.
A package of Matias Maccelli, Bobby McMann, and Calle Jarnkrok mixed in with a midd-tier pick should be enough to suffice.
Toronto gets Kadri's contract covered, open up a roster spot or two for players like Jacob Quillan, and improves the top-six with a proven winner.
It's a lot to ask, but if the logistics were to work out, here's how a potential top-six with Kadri would look like:
Knies - Matthews - Domi
Kadri - Tavares - Nylander
Kadri - Tavares - Nylander
Right there you have three elite face-off takers in Matthews, Tavares, and Kadri not to mention serious physical and scoring threats as well.
Plus you're going to get that vintage Kadri attitude, and while it rubbed fans a bit the wrong way previously; there's something new in the air in Toronto and that grittiness could be a huge boost to an already tenacious lineup.
So if the Maple Leafs really wanted to add some firepower to the lineup as they push for the playoffs, adding their former prized prospect in Kadri would be a great choice though it doesn't come without its concerns.
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