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Stars Trade Rumors: Did Minor Deal With Flames Set Up Deadline Move For Nazem Kadri?

Jeff Hawkins Written by Sports EditorJeff Hawkins
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Stars Trade Rumors: Did Minor Deal With Flames Set Up Deadline Move For Nazem Kadri?

The Dallas Stars completed a minor deal with the Calgary Flames.

Is it a preview for a bigger deal?

Two days before the NHL enters its Olympic roster freeze, Stars general manager Jim Nill helped engineer a trade with Flames GM Craig Conroy. The Stars received Jeremie Poirier in exchange for Gavin White.

The two 23-year-old defensemen have spent their professional careers in the AHL. The trade may not have sent shockwaves through many locker rooms, but NHL trade rumors indicate Nill and Conroy created a transaction template they could revisit to land Flames star Nazem Kadri, who reportedly asked to be moved before the NHL trade deadline.

Stars Trade Rumors: Will GM Jill Nill Target Flames’ Nazem Kadri?

With the Flames entering a rebuilding phase, Nadri continues to emerge as one of the more intriguing names on the market. Entering Monday, the Flames, who entered the season with playoff aspirations, ranked No. 14 in the 16-team Western Conference. Their minus-55 goal differential ranked last. 

At 35 years old, Kadri, who has a limited no-trade clause, said last week he was “open” to a deal to a contender. 

Among the teams who have inquired about the 2009 No. 7 overall draft pick, the Montreal Canadiens apparently have scaled back their interest. The Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild remain possible destinations. 

All four Stanley Cup contenders seek to upgrade their top-six forward depth and Kadri’s style would add grit to any of the three lineups.  

Kadri has three more years remaining on his contract with a $7 million cap hit. A proven scorer with 316 goals among 745 points in 1,039 career games, he posted a minus-61 rating since joining the Flames before the 2022-23 campaign. 

For now, the Stars and Flames exchanged minor-league defense prospects. Poirier will be assigned to the AHL’s Texas Stars and Poirier to the Calgary Wranglers.

With some of the preliminary deals out of the way, will Nill now focus on Kadri, who scored during Monday’s 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Jeff Hawkins Written by Sports EditorJeff Hawkins
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He joined the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.  
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