Nazem Kadri reportedly “very disappointed” not to be leaving Calgary

Nazem Kadri is 35 years old.

And clearly… the guy would like a change of scenery. He would like to be traded by 3 p.m. today because he surely wants to give himself a chance to win the Stanley Cup, and that's not going to happen in Calgary.

In fact… it goes even further than that: Kadri would be very disappointed to remain with the Flames today, according to Darren Dreger.

Nazem Kadri will be “deeply disappointed” if he is still with the Flames past the trade deadline, per @DarrenDreger. pic.twitter.com/NsBtH0KQJf

— PuckEmpire (@puckempire) March 6, 2026

There was a deal on the table to send Kadri to Colorado, where he played between 2019 and 2022.

But… the owner in Calgary blocked the trade because he didn't want to keep part of the center's salary.

The result?

The Avalanche decided to find another solution.

The club paid (a hefty price) to acquire Nicolas Roy from the Leafs… and it's as if Colorado panicked a little to replace Kadri.

RE: Nazem Kadri front, ownership is unwilling to retain on his deal, which significantly limits the market for him.

Believed that the Flames had a deal in place with the Avalanche, but with retention taken off the table, the Avs pivoted to Nic Roy. Tough spot for Craig Conroy.

— Marco D'Amico (@mndamico) March 6, 2026

I understand the logic in Calgary because Kadri still has three years left on his contract and they don't want to tie themselves down on the salary cap by keeping part of his salary. But… there isn't a single club that's going to want Kadri at $7 million per season for another three years. The Flames will have to make a decision: either keep part of his salary to facilitate a trade… or forget about the possibility of trading him elsewhere. That said, with the market going completely crazy, maybe the Flames really need to think more seriously about keeping some of his salary to maximize the center's value…

It has been known for several months that Kadri wants to be traded.

At 35 years old and $7 million until 2029, he becomes more attractive with retention.

However, we understand why CGY doesn't want to freeze space on its payroll for three years, as Dreger mentioned.

— Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) March 6, 2026

The Kadri situation will be one of the most intriguing to watch in the NHL today.

My prediction? Kadri will be traded in the last hour because the Flames will have too good an offer on the table to refuse…

In a nutshell

– Rumors from across the league:

Some notes:
– #LetsGoFlyers, who just traded Brink, are also in talks about Deslauriers, Grundstrom, and Ristolainen.
– #Sabrehood are shopping goalie Devon Levi
– #TimeToHunt exploring Bobrovsky options, and adding a goaltender
– #FlyTogether looking for top-six winger

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) March 6, 2026

— NHL trade. Is Rasmus Ristolainen on his way out?

Bobby Brink to MIN for David Jiricek

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 6, 2026

— Note to self.

Jacob Fowler returns to action tonight against the Rochester #Americans, as does Florian Xjekaj

No Paquet-Bisson at practice this morning; he was injured on Wednesday. Adam Engstrom, who is injured, skated alone earlier this morning.ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#AHL pic.twitter.com/Yf2t9FRp0P

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) March 6, 2026

— It's expensive.

Individual tickets for the 2026 season are NOW on sale!

Choose your games, reserve your seats, and get ready for the Club's return to Saputo Stadium

Buy your tickets now → https://t.co/Puwm1u0m1i #CFMTL pic.twitter.com/pAYM5Frmp8

— CF Montréal (@cfmontreal) March 6, 2026

– Classic.

He had quite a game and his home run is the talk of the town. https://t.co/kRNQmGgTMg

— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) March 6, 2026