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Flames trade rumours: Nazem Kadri trade with Colorado ‘never got over finish line’
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Ryan Pike
Mar 5, 2026, 20:13 ESTUpdated: Mar 5, 2026, 20:25 EST
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The Colorado Avalanche made a trade on Thursday. They sent a conditional 2027 first-round pick and a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for centre Nicolas Roy.
Now, many people – myself included – saw that transaction, the Avalanche using a first-round pick to add a centre, and concluded that their reported interest in Calgary Flames centre Nazem Kadri was probably over.
Well, per a pair of reports from our pals at Sportsnet, it sounds like the Flames and Avalanche got fairly far down the road on a Kadri swap.
On Wednesday afternoon’s edition of the Real Kyper and Bourne show on Sportsnet 590 The Fan, Nick Kypreos remarked that the Flames and Avalanche “had a deal done for Kadri, and I don’t think it got past an ownership stamp of approval here,” with Kypreos noting “it might’ve been Calgary that turned it down at the end.”
Robert Munnich
Robert Munnich
@RingOfFireCGY
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Here is the full clip from Nick Kypreos I'd imagine ownership would have turned the deal down because of salary retention. But there were also reports earlier in the season (around Kadri's 1000th game) that Murray Edwards had zero interest in trading Nazem Kadri.

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Ryan Pinder
Ryan Pinder
@PinderReport

@RealKyper suggesting Kadri was nearly Avs property, but Flames ownership wasn't on side.

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Later on Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman released his annual “Stuff I’m Hearing” column in advance of the trade deadline frenzy.
Here’s what he wrote regarding Kadri:
Prior to trading for Nicolas Roy, Colorado and Calgary did discuss Nazem Kadri. I have to assume the same picks Toronto received (a first and a fifth) were available, and there was an understanding of some level of retention. Never got over the finish line.
Kadri has stuck to his no-trade list, so far.
The current year of Kadri’s deal carries with it a 13-team no-trade list, meaning that Kadri can submit a list of 13 teams he won’t go to Flames management. It’s rare that the contents of a player’s no-trade list leak, so we’re not entirely sure how extensive it is.
Later on Wednesday, on TSN 1050’s OverDrive, Darren Dreger added his two cents, noting “They don’t want to retain on Nazem Kadri. That’s been a problem, because I think Montreal, as Pierre [LeBrun] talked about earlier, would have interest as long as Calgary would retain.”
Kadri is under contract for three seasons after this one with a $7 million cap hit – he’ll be 38 in the final year of bis deal. The Flames have used two of their three available salary retention slots, and have one remaining. Originally added as a free agent in 2022, Kadri leads the Flames in scoring with 41 points through 60 games this season.
The trade deadline is 1 p.m. MT on Friday.
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