Nazem Kadri could be Deadline’s top pickup

Every year, as the NHL trade deadline approaches, a few names pop up in the conversation. This time, Nazem Kadri is one of the most interesting. The Calgary Flames may not be in full teardown mode, but they’re clearly listening, and Kadri is exactly the kind of player who sniffs around when the weather turns cold and the standings start to get tight.

Here are three reasons why Kadri would be an excellent addition to a Stanley Cup contending team.

Reason 1: Kadri shows up when the going gets tough

If there’s one thing I’ve learned watching playoff hockey over the decades, it’s this: When everything starts to wobble, you want a player who has come a long way. Kadri has. He has the ring. He scored huge goals during the Colorado series and played with enormous pressure that most players never experience. Some boys get tense when the ice shrinks. Usually Kadri loosens up and digs in. You can’t learn that.

Any team that thinks they’re one step away from doing real damage should at least pick up the phone.

Reason 2: Kadri fits almost anywhere

The tricky part about building a great roster for the playoffs is that reality trumps your plans. Whether you like it or not, things never go the way you planned them in October. Someone gets hurt, someone cools down, someone just doesn’t play as well as hoped. Kadri is one of those players that coaches love because you can move him around without breaking the rhythm of your lineup. Second line center? Certainly. Let him work a few shifts? Works fine.

He’s still playing big minutes in Calgary and scoring at a steady pace on offense. You don’t need him to be a superstar; you just need it to keep the machine moving when everything gets clogged. He’s good at that.

Reason 3: Depth wins in the spring, Kadri is that and more

People often focus on the star players when discussing the playoffs, but depth is usually what turns a series around. Kadri brings a whole new wrinkle to teams in that department. Put him in the middle six of a contender, and suddenly the matchups become a lot tougher for the other bench. When your top line comes under pressure, Kadri can reshape the feel of a game with one physical shift.

As Chris Johnston wrote in The Athletic, “Kadri is a competitor who would immediately raise the ceiling in Montreal.” They believe the Canadiens are a frontrunner. Kadri has a 13-team no-trade list, and Montreal is not on it. James Mirtle loves the Minnesota Wild.

So, what’s the catch with Kadri?

The catch with Kadri is the contract, which is not small. It will take another three years for $7 million. No spending money, and he has a no-trade list. But if a team truly believes it’s close, that’s an issue to work around, not a dealbreaker. Someone like the Los Angeles Kingsfor example, they could talk themselves into Kadri as the piece that puts everything in order.

Deadline season always brings surprises. If Kadri moves, don’t be shocked. And if he ends up disbanding another team when the games get serious, don’t be shocked by that either. “Vincent Trocheck, Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman,” Seravalli said on Oilers Now on names he’s keeping an eye on once the Olympic trading freeze is over. “Those are three names that would throw you off in a heartbeat.”

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