Analyst Floats Edmonton as Landing Spot for Nazem Kadri

Nazem Kadri trade talks are in full force. After plenty of speculation around the star center’s future in Calgary as the Flames continue to tear things down as part of their rebuild, it’s been confirmed that he would like a move to a contender.

Insider Darren Dreger shared the news on Tuesday, turning the speculation into legitimate trade chatter. Central Division juggernauts in the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild have all been linked to Kadri throughout the year, though one analyst believes it’s two Pacific Division teams that should be looking to find a way to land him.

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Craig Button of TSN specifically mentioned the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers as suitors for Kadri in hopes of closing the gap between them and those top Western Conference teams.

Button said:

“It’s got to be the top contenders that are trying to find a way to get Nazem Kadri. It’s teams that might not be right at the top, like Colorado, because they have Brock Nelson. But if you’re the Vegas Golden Knights or the Edmonton Oilers, can you find a way to get Nazem Kadri? Listen, it’s not easy — salary, he’s got term left on his contract, and everything. But you’re looking at now a player that can be a real difference-maker come playoff time. So there’s no question that Nazem Kadri is an addition to a team,”

The 35-year-old Kadri is in year four of the seven-year, $49 million contract signed to join the Flames in free agency of 2022. He’s tallied 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists) across 56 games played this season.

Could the Oilers Really Land Nazem Kadri?

While Kadri’s name being in the rumor mill is nothing new, the connection to the Oilers certainly is, and the thought of such a major move being made between Battle of Alberta enemies is fascinating, to say the least.

As Button noted, plenty of obstacles stand in the way of getting a deal done. From Edmonton’s lack of cap space and limited assets to the likely increased return package GM Craig Conroy would seek from Stan Bowman — not only because they’re in the same division, but because they are such bitter rivals.

Bowman would need to move multiple contracts of substance, like Andrew Mangiapane ($3.6 million) and/or Adam Henrique ($3 million), if he’s willing to waive, along with some potential salary retention on Kadri, which Calgary has reportedly been open to for some time now.

Because of that, the Oilers might actually have a puncher’s chance of trading for the veteran center. It will just come down to whether the package of future assets Bowman can put together is enough to beat out other interested teams and convince Conroy to send him to Edmonton.

If they were able to find a way to make it happen, it’s the type of acquisition that would change the complexion of the Oilers up front and provide the layer of secondary scoring they’ve long been seeking behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Next: Maple Leafs Rejected a One-for-One Trade Offer from the Oilers?