Nazem Kadri was available on the free-agent market for six weeks before signing with the Calgary Flames, but it appears he was not without offers during that time.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun wrote Wednesday in the Athletic that Kadri “is believed to have turned down a six-year offer from another club worth $8.5 million AAV pretty early in free agency.”
LeBrun adds that Kadri made the decision based on the fit with the potential team. The 31-year-old eventually joined the Flames on a seven-year, $49 million contract, carrying an average annual value of $7 million. In order to add the free-agent center, the Flames had to clear cap space, dealing center Sean Monahan and his $6.375 million cap hit, along with a conditional first-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens.
Those moves were part of a massive roster overhaul for the Flames, who lost Johnny Gaudreau in free agency and traded Matthew Tkachukacquiring Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar as part of their return from the Florida Panthers.
“I touched base with (Kadri’s agent Darren Ferris) when free agency opened to say we certainly had interest, but we had a lot going on,” Treliving told LeBrun. “And at that point, we hadn’t dealt with Matthew’s situation yet.
“It just worked out that he was still available.”
Ferris said that Kadri’s decision came down to three teams and LeBrun reports the New York Islanders were among the suitors, with Kadri likely waiting deep into the off-season to see if general manager Lou Lamoriello could make room for him.
The London, Ont. native scored 28 goals and posted a career-high 87 points in 71 games with the Colorado Avalanche last season. He added seven goals and 15 points in 16 playoff games en route to winning his first Stanley Cup in June.
Selected seventh overall in the 2009 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kadri has 219 goals and 512 points in 739 career games with the Leafs and Avalanche.
Future of the Flames
Two weeks before signing Kadri, Treliving and the Flames signed Huberdeau to an eight-year, $84 million extension, which will begin in 2023-24.
The two off-season additions will account for $17.5 million of the team’s cap space starting next season and will do so until Kadri’s contract expires in 2029. Only three members of the team are signed through the 2025-26 season. Blake Coleman ($4.9 million AAV), Rasmus Andersson ($4.55M), and Jacob Markstrom ($6M), with Coleman’s contract running through 2026-27.
Calgary has already committed $73.4 million toward next season’s salary cap, per CapFriendly, with 16 players under contract and just three players slated for unrestricted free agency – Weegar, Milan Lucic and Trevor Lewis.
Treliving told LeBrun that next up on his agenda is locking up Weegar.
“That’s our intention with him,” Treliving said. “We’re just working through it.”