Bold Wins: The Nazem Kadri rumors just won’t go away. The Calgary Flames own some sought-after assets for contenders looking for a boost this season, and when/if they finally decide to sell, there will undoubtedly be a bidding war for the services of Kadri and a couple of other Flames.
But a recent development around the National Hockey League makes one serious contender a frontrunner to land Kadri—if and when he OKs a move. Sportsnet hockey insider Nick Kypreos gives us the scoop:
Tyler Seguin is yet to have surgery, but his season-ending injury has opened a bit of a hole in the Stars’ lineup and so now they are becoming a likely destination for Nazem Kadri should he get traded.
Once the Dallas Stars confirm that Seguin is out for the rest of the season including playoffs with his ACL tear, they will be able to place him on Season-Ending LTIR, and receive his full $9.85 million salary in cap relief. That opens up a wide variety of options for the Stars, and Kadri’s $7 million cap hit would fit right in nicely.
So would his style of play, offering the two-way center and offensive production that will go missing from the Dallas lineup, as well as the leadership off the ice.
Flames aren’t ready to sell, but Dallas Stars will be prime suitor for Nazem Kadri
However, Kypreos adds that the Flames aren’t yet ready to sell off their key veterans, and their recent run (three-game win streak and 7-2-1 in their last 10 games) certainly isn’t doing anything to speed up any kind of trade activity. They’re now just three points back of a Wild Card spot.
Kyper says this will likely all come down to Kadri. “Things won’t start taking off until Kadri is ready to go to management and tell them it’s time to move on. No indication he’s even close to doing that yet.”
Seguin, 33, had 17 points on seven goals and ten assists in 27 games this season. Kadri, having another excellent year for the Flames, has 26 points in 31 games.
