Nazem Kadri was ready to come play for the Canadiens

Nazem Kadri's name was mentioned frequently leading up to the trade deadline.

And in Montreal, they were keeping a close eye on the situation because they knew the Canadiens were interested in the center.
But while Kadri was ultimately traded to Colorado, it wasn't because he wasn't interested in the idea of playing for the Habs. In fact…
In fact, according to Darren Dreger, the player himself would have come to play for the Habs. He hadn't ruled out the possibility of joining the Canadiens, but it really came down to the salary—that's where things fell apart.

Kent Hughes, after all, wanted the Flames to absorb 40 or 50% of Kadri's salary in a trade, something the Flames weren't willing to do.
Kadri made his way back to Colorado, while the Flames retained 20% of his salary to complete the trade.

Darren Dreger: Re Nazem Kadri: Calgary knew he would go to Colorado… yeah, he would've gone to Montreal, but Montreal needed… like 40 or 50% retained, and that felt like basically a non-starter; Carolina was one of the teams — Barn Burner (3/13)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) March 16, 2026

In a way, it's a shame for the Canadiens.
Adding Kadri would have helped the team be more dangerous offensively and would have filled a certain need in the team's top six. We know Kadri's strengths and we know he can be a real asset to a team on the ice.
But Kent Hughes didn't deviate from his plan, and that's interesting in a way.

The Canadiens' GM didn't panic, and he didn't make a move he might regret in a few years. Kadri is still 35 years old: we're talking about a guy who's making a huge salary ($7 million per season through 2029) and who already seems to be on the decline.

Oh well. Maybe the Canadiens will come out on top in the end…

In a nutshell

– Good point.

If we're keeping it one hundo… Kirby had his head down and that's why he got hit in the head. Viel didn't have to answer for this.

BUT, could our players have been more physical with their stars in response? Absolutely, and that's what's been missing pic.twitter.com/Yldy3FJM8f
— HFTV (@HFTVSports) March 16, 2026
— Hello, Florian!

Your daily dose of Flo
Your daily dose of Flo pic.twitter.com/iM0E81MG9N
— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) March 16, 2026
— Yes.

Rafael Devers will have to step up. https://t.co/h9tSKBxcSg
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) March 16, 2026
— Attention all interested parties:

Donate $350 and receive a hand-signed photo of Ivan Demidov!

Help children in need and walk away with a true collector's item autographed by one of hockey's most promising young talents!
→ https://t.co/rGyjMKWXBK pic.twitter.com/A9QQ0Pdp94— Canadiens Children's Foundation (@CHCFondation) March 16, 2026