<p>Nazem Kadri is off the board.</p>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/saturday-headlines-miller-moves-pettersson-clear-for-now/">Sportsnet&#8217;s Elliotte Friedman</a>, the Calgary Flames have made it crystal clear to opposing teams, the likes of Kadri, and defencemen Rasmus Andersson and Mackenzie Weegar are not available in trade conversations. Friedman discussed the Flames&#8217; plans during Saturday&#8217;s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast and laid out Flames&#8217; GM Craig Conroy&#8217;s plans.</p>
<p>&#8220;One of the most interesting things about the Calgary Flames, and they made a big deal this week getting Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, but the Flames have told teams that Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri, and Mackenzie Weegar are not available,&#8221; stated Friedman. &#8220;Weegar has a contract, Kadri has a contract, a number of teams have asked about him, and Andersson, as you know, is heading into the final year of his deal, and the Flames are getting more and more calls but are confident they&#8217;ll be able to keep him.&#8221;</p>
<p>Kadri, the Maple Leafs&#8217; first-round pick in 2009, has been linked to a return to Toronto ever since <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/jeff-marek-believes-the-maple-leafs-will-inquire-about-nazem-kadri-at-some-point-this-season">Daily Faceoff&#8217;s Jeff Marek reported</a> GM Brad Treliving was going to &#8216;inquire&#8217; about acquiring Kadri over a month ago. “I have a hard time believing that somewhere down the road that the Maple Leafs don’t make a pitch for, or have a conversation about Nazem Kadri of the Calgary Flames,” Marek said.</p>
<p>The 34-year-old Kadri is having a strong season with the Flames, recording 18 goals and 35 points in 51 games. The London, ON native is signed through the 2028-29 season at $7 million AAV and holds a full no-movement clause, which, of course, is the contract Treliving signed him to back in the summer of 2022.</p>
<p>At the time, <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/calgary-flames-signing-top-free-agent-forward-nazem-kadri/">Treliving had this to say</a> about adding Kadri in Calgary, &#8220;Nazem is a highly competitive top-six player who makes our centre-ice position deep. He brings a high skill level and determination to our group combined with his recent experience of a Stanley Cup championship.&#8221;</p>
<p>Even after Kadri inked his massive contract with Calgary, a team he wouldn&#8217;t accept a trade to while a Maple Leaf, he made it clear, leaving Toronto wasn&#8217;t something he ever wanted to do in the first place. “It was nothing against Calgary. I obviously love that city and love going there as a visiting team,&#8221; Kadri said in 2019. &#8220;I just had aspirations of staying put (in Toronto). I came very close. It was a tough decision.&#8221;</p>
<p>As it stands right now, the Maple Leafs will continue their search for a middle-six centre, and there&#8217;s certainly a good chance they try to add on the blueline as well. Adding Kadri would have been a complicated deal, as the Leafs would of had to navigate the finances, because they certainly don&#8217;t have $7 million in cap space laying around at the moment. With the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/salary-cap-increase-gives-maple-leafs-plenty-room-re-sign-marner">salary cap going up in a major way</a> over the course of the next three seasons, Kadri&#8217;s contract would have been an easier pill to swallow in Toronto.</p>
<p>Treliving stated earlier this year that the Leafs would prefer to acquire players with term on their contract, and if the recent trade activity around the league is any implication, if you&#8217;re trading for a rental, expect to give up at least a first-round pick. The Leafs don&#8217;t have a 2025 first rounder, so regardless of what Treliving is able to pull off before the deadline, it&#8217;s going to take some serious creativity to land an impact player(s).</p>
<p>Scratch Kadri&#8217;s name off the trade targets list, a reunion in Toronto has been kyboshed.</p>
<p><strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong></p>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="324" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>


Nazem Kadri is off the board.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
According to <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/saturday-headlines-miller-moves-pettersson-clear-for-now/">Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman</a>, the Calgary Flames have made it crystal clear to opposing teams, the likes of Kadri, and defencemen Rasmus Andersson and Mackenzie Weegar are not available in trade conversations. Friedman discussed the Flames' plans during Saturday's Hockey Night in Canada broadcast and laid out Flames' GM Craig Conroy's plans.

"One of the most interesting things about the Calgary Flames, and they made a big deal this week getting Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, but the Flames have told teams that Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri, and Mackenzie Weegar are not available," stated Friedman. "Weegar has a contract, Kadri has a contract, a number of teams have asked about him, and Andersson, as you know, is heading into the final year of his deal, and the Flames are getting more and more calls but are confident they'll be able to keep him."

Kadri, the Maple Leafs' first-round pick in 2009, has been linked to a return to Toronto ever since <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/jeff-marek-believes-the-maple-leafs-will-inquire-about-nazem-kadri-at-some-point-this-season">Daily Faceoff's Jeff Marek reported</a> GM Brad Treliving was going to 'inquire' about acquiring Kadri over a month ago. “I have a hard time believing that somewhere down the road that the Maple Leafs don’t make a pitch for, or have a conversation about Nazem Kadri of the Calgary Flames,” Marek said.

The 34-year-old Kadri is having a strong season with the Flames, recording 18 goals and 35 points in 51 games. The London, ON native is signed through the 2028-29 season at $7 million AAV and holds a full no-movement clause, which, of course, is the contract Treliving signed him to back in the summer of 2022.

At the time, <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/calgary-flames-signing-top-free-agent-forward-nazem-kadri/">Treliving had this to say</a> about adding Kadri in Calgary, "Nazem is a highly competitive top-six player who makes our centre-ice position deep. He brings a high skill level and determination to our group combined with his recent experience of a Stanley Cup championship.''

Even after Kadri inked his massive contract with Calgary, a team he wouldn't accept a trade to while a Maple Leaf, he made it clear, leaving Toronto wasn't something he ever wanted to do in the first place. “It was nothing against Calgary. I obviously love that city and love going there as a visiting team," Kadri said in 2019. "I just had aspirations of staying put (in Toronto). I came very close. It was a tough decision."

As it stands right now, the Maple Leafs will continue their search for a middle-six centre, and there's certainly a good chance they try to add on the blueline as well. Adding Kadri would have been a complicated deal, as the Leafs would of had to navigate the finances, because they certainly don't have $7 million in cap space laying around at the moment. With the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/salary-cap-increase-gives-maple-leafs-plenty-room-re-sign-marner">salary cap going up in a major way</a> over the course of the next three seasons, Kadri's contract would have been an easier pill to swallow in Toronto.

Treliving stated earlier this year that the Leafs would prefer to acquire players with term on their contract, and if the recent trade activity around the league is any implication, if you're trading for a rental, expect to give up at least a first-round pick. The Leafs don't have a 2025 first rounder, so regardless of what Treliving is able to pull off before the deadline, it's going to take some serious creativity to land an impact player(s).

Scratch Kadri's name off the trade targets list, a reunion in Toronto has been kyboshed.

<strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="324" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>

Recent articles from Shane Seney

Breaking News