Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been in and around the trade market as of late. They’re looking for a centre to build some depth down the middle. One of the names that have come up lately is Nazem Kadri of the Calgary Flames.
Toronto has had bad luck in terms of team personnel. Leafs general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube have been put to the test. The Leafs currently have to deal with seven forwards being absent from the lineup. Six are unavailable due to injuries, three of them on LTIR. The remaining forward, Ryan Reaves, is serving a five-game suspension for a high hit on Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers.
As a result, the Leafs were forced to make some roster decisions. Toronto made three call-ups including Alex Steeves. Also, Nikita Grebenkin and Fraser Minten were recalled together in the same transaction. However, it didn’t stop there. Treliving and Berube were forced to go even deeper in the club to add another forward. Due to Matthew Knies recently becoming unavailable, Alexander Nylander has been signed to an NHL contract with the Maple Leafs from the Toronto Marlies.
However, despite all these roster moves, it’s only a temporary fix. Even when the Leafs have a fully healthy team, they could still use another centre in their lineup. Insert the Kadri discussion.
Leafs Enquiring About Kadri
According to former NHL general manager and head coach, Doug MacLean was a guest on Real Kyper and Bourne. During the show, he was raving about how much of a great idea it would be to bring the former Maple Leaf back to Toronto. MacLean brought up several points, but his main argument was about the playoffs. He believes that Kadri would be able to bring his teammates into the fight with his intensity and physical edge. He then proceeded to say that Treliving is looking at this situation and that he’s “kicking tires” with his former team, the Flames.
“They need a Kadri… If they get him and they go against Florida and these (playoff) teams, it’s going to be a different series.”@DougMaclean shares how a Nazem Kadri reunion changes the #LeafsForever trajectory with @RealKyper & @jtbourne.
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📺 https://t.co/SqK7M993Jz pic.twitter.com/6StlDPl1l0— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) November 22, 2024
“If you’re going to play against teams in the playoffs—Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, Rangers—you need a player like Kadri. If I’m Brad Treliving and I hear they’re kicking tires—I heard today they were kicking tires there—Treliving has his hands full. There’s still some animosity because of how Kadri left, and the (Jonathan Huberdeau) deal still stings Calgary’s ownership. If Toronto gets Kadri and they face Florida or other playoff teams, it’s going to be a different series.”
Many fans remember how Kadri departed from the Maple Leafs. In 2019, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for Alexander Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie among other assets. It was a deal that the Avalanche took advantage of, winning a Stanley Cup in 2022. Kadri was a hard-nosed player for Toronto who played with a lot of passion. In theory, this would be a great addition for the Leafs.
However, because of Kadri’s contract, it seems unlikely for a deal to happen. The season after winning the Cup with the Avs, he signed a seven-year deal with the Flames at $7M per year. That means, if Toronto were to trade for him, they’d have to deal with another four years with this contract and the 34-year-old isn’t getting any younger. There would certainly have to be retention on his contract if a trade was agreed to. However, even then it doesn’t seem realistic considering Toronto’s cap space and the remaining term they have to deal with.
During his time in Toronto, Kadri played 561 games and scored 161 goals and 357 points.
Main Photo Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
