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Flames trade rumours: open to futures deal or ‘hockey trade’ involving Nazem Kadri
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Photo credit: Brett Holmes-Imagn Images
Ryan Pike
Feb 3, 2026, 16:10 ESTUpdated: Feb 3, 2026, 16:06 EST
For much of the last few weeks, particularly since the Calgary Flames traded Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights, there has been a lot of chatter from the various league insiders regarding the potential trade availability of forward Nazem Kadri.
In Tuesday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman pondered the potential for a Kadri trade. He introduced the discussion by referencing comments he’s made on recent radio and podcast appearances regarding Kadri’s 13-team no-trade list and the Montreal Canadiens being on it; now Friedman doesn’t think that the Habs are on that list.
Here’s the rest of what Friedman had to say about Kadri’s situation:
I think one of the things that kind of happened with Kadri was that Robert Thomas being available out there and maybe some other centres being available that people didn’t realize, kind of slowed things down. I think that’s picked back up a bit. I think Utah’s a team that has also asked about Kadri. You know, what is the possibility here? I don’t know what the is situation with them, but I do know they’ve asked. I’ve heard Calgary’s told other teams that have called about him that there’s a couple ways they’re willing to do this. They’re willing to do, like, the Brock Nelson kind of deal, which is first round pick, prospect. Or they’re willing to do more of what’s called like a hockey deal. Less of a futures deal but more like a young player that the Flames would have control over. I’ve heard they’re open to it. I think that one’s started to pick up again.
The 35-year-old Kadri is in the fourth year of a seven year deal he signed with the Flames as a free agent in the 2022 off-season, carrying a $7 million cap hit. Per various reports, he’s said to be open to a trade.
On one hand, Kadri remains a pretty productive centre and one of the Flames’ most consistent offensive players. If you focus just on the player, he’s a tantalizing asset. But he’s under contract until he’s 38 and, in theory, at some point the aging curve could hit him hard and his productivity could tail off significantly.
If you’re a team looking for a centre for a playoff run, Kadri is an exciting potential add. If you’re thinking beyond the first playoff run, or two, there’s some risk involved in trading for him. We’ll see how things unfold on this front.
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