One player in the National Hockey League who has been in trade rumours a lot lately is center Nazem Kadri of London, Ontario. Kadri still has four years left on his contract with the Calgary Flames which will see him earn $7 million each season for a total of $28 million.
However, there is a belief at this time that Flames General Manager Craig Conroy is listening to trade offers for defenseman Rasmus Andersson of Malmo, Sweden and Kadri. We have already discussed Andersson over the past month, and the possibility of him going to Dallas or Toronto. The two teams that have expressed the most interest in Kadri are Toronto and Montreal.
You would think that by being from London, Ontario, and the fact the Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving was the former general manager of the Flames, that the Maple Leafs would have the upper hand when it came to trade negotiations. Well, not so fast. In fact, the Canadiens could be the favourite for a bizarre reason. Why? While Kadri grew up in London, he was never a fan of the Maple Leafs. While his teammates and classmates were Maple Leafs fans, Kadri was a huge fan of the Canadiens. You might be wondering how in the world would I know this tidbit. The answer is Kadri told me himself during an interview I had with him last November for Calgary Hockey Magazine.
Now, the Maple Leafs and Flames have not come to a transactional agreement on Kadri. One reason is the fact it has been a challenge for Treliving to make trades with the Flames since he left Calgary for Toronto in 2023.
Kadri’s statistics in 2024-25
Kadri had 35 goals and 32 assists for 67 points in 82 games. He was a -17 with 72 penalty minutes, 22 power-play points, five game-winning goals, 279 shots on goal, 677 faceoff wins, 30 blocked shots, 55 hits, 30 takeaways and 60 giveaways.
Kadri’s time with the Maple Leafs
Kadri was the Maple Leafs’s first round pick, ninth overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Toronto was getting a local product as he played his junior hockey with the London Knights and Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League. In 561 games with the Maple Leafs from 2009 to 2019, Kadri had 161 goals and 196 assists for 357 points. He was a -27 with 387 penalty minutes, 99 power-play points, one shorthanded point, 21 game-winning goals, 1401 shots on goal, 3476 faceoff wins, 204 blocked shots, 814 hits, five hat tricks, 323 takeaways, and 362 giveaways.
