Nazem Kadri headed back to the Avalanche on NHL trade deadline day

The Calgary Flames' top scorer returns to the Colorado Avalanche in a last-minute trade Friday, as the Flames look to rebuild with younger talent.

The Calgary Flames pulled off one of the biggest last-minute deals on for the NHL trade deadline Friday when they traded their leading scorer back to Colorado.

Nazem Kadri was traded back to the Colorado Avalanche along with a fourth-round pick in 2027 for a conditional first-round pick in 2028, a conditional second round pick in 2027, forward Victor Olofsson and prospect Max Curran.

The Flames are retaining 20 per cent of Kadri’s salary.

Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy says returning to Colorado likely marks a “dream come true” for the 35-year-old centre — and an opportunity for the Flames to get some younger talent on the team’s roster.

“He wants another opportunity and for him to actually be able to go back to Colorado, I think that’s probably a dream come true for him,” Conroy said.

“For us, we knew where we’re going and with his age, this is something we needed to do.”

Kadri, who was first drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2009, is returning to the place where he won the Stanley Cup in 2022. He spent three years with the Avalanche before coming to the Flames after his Stanley Cup win.

Kadri said he wasn’t sure the deal would get done.

“(It was) an absolute sweat,” he said. “I didn’t even realize it could happen that long after, but you know obviously (I’m) super excited to go to a team at the very top of my list. Man, I can’t wait.”

Rebuild for the Flames

With Kadri being the third veteran the Flames have shipped out this year, there’s no doubt the organization is heading in a different direction.

“We could’ve called it whatever you wanted, re-tool, rebuild,” said Conroy. “It’s about getting the organization back to where we want it to be consistently and that’s all we’ve ever wanted to do.”

The Flames made a few more deals at the deadline.

One acquisition includes centre Ryan Strome from the Anaheim Ducks for a seventh-round draft pick in 2027. Conroy thinks the change of scenery might to the veteran some good.

“When I called him he was pretty excited,” Conroy said.

“He’s going to do everything in his power to be in that game tomorrow, and when I hear that it makes me feel good. He’s looking forward to (saying) ‘hey, I’m a good player and I’m going to show you that in Calgary.’”

The last deal for the Flames was a more minor one, where they dealt Jacob Battaglia to the New York Rangers for forward Brennan Othmann, who was a first-round pick in 2021.