Insider: Nazem Kadri "Willing To Waive" No-Trade Clause for "The Right Situation"

We've heard the rumors that the Calgary Flames could be willing to trade Nazem Kadri. "He's out there," said insider David Pagnotta recently. "The Flames are willing to explore that possibility." But with Kadri's full no-movement clause, many figured that nothing could come of it.

Pagnotta, however, while not saying that anything is imminent, does reveal that it's not totally out of the question, and that Kadri would be open to it, in certain circumstances.

My understanding with respect to (Kadri) is that he's willing to waive (the no-move clause) for the right situation. I think he would welcome a return to Colorado.

An interesting tidbit, to be sure. Kadri, of course, chose to leave the Avalanche in free agency in the summer of 2022, fresh off playing a key role in helping the Avs to their third Stanley Cup championship. He signed a seven-year, $49 million deal with the Flames, that still has five years to run on that $7 million cap hit.

Kadri is coming off a tremendous year in Calgary, notching 29 goals and 75 points in 82 games, while recording the second-highest time on ice of his career, at 18:26.

The Avalanche currently have $4.7 million of cap space, certainly not enough to take on that full Kadri contract, and as Pagnotta notes, a return to Colorado is most likely "not in the cards." But he does suggest that heading somewhere back East could appeal to the London, Ontario native, "a little closer to home."

The Flames are in some sort of purgatory state currently, willing to "listen on everything," but with many wondering whether this is a full-on rebuild, or a more minor 'retooling'. A trade of Kadri would certainly be indicative of a tear-it-down type of situation, so we will keep an eye on what GM Craig Conroy does next.