Avalanche Acquire Nazem Kadri
An hour after the deadline, one of the top names finally comes off the board. The Flames have agreed to send Nazem Kadri and their 2027 fourth-round pick back to Colorado for a reunion with the Avalanche, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2022, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Avs’ 2028 first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick, winger Victor Olofsson, and the signing rights to forward prospect Max Curran are going to Calgary. Both draft picks have conditions attached. Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet adds that the Flames are retaining 20% of his salary to bring his cap hit down from $7MM to $5.6MM for the Avs. The trade is now official.
The idea of the Avalanche bringing Kadri back into the fold first surfaced last week in a report from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Kadri, armed with a 13-team no-trade list, told TSN today that Colorado was “the team at the very top of my list” and was “for the most part” only interested in returning to Denver if he didn’t stay with the Flames (via Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now).
Momentum toward a deal seemed to cease when Colorado traded a first-round and a fifth-round pick to the Maple Leafs yesterday for Nicolas Roy. Not only did Roy swallow up $3MM in cap space, but they traded away their top 2027 draft pick that most assumed would have to be included in any potential deal for Kadri. They’d traded away their 2026 selection at last year’s deadline for Brock Nelson. They now have no first-round choice until 2029 and haven’t drafted in the first round since taking Calum Ritchie (also traded for Nelson) 27th overall and Mikhail Gulyayev 31st overall in 2023.
The Avalanche never wanted to lose Kadri after his career year in 2021-22 fueled them to a Stanley Cup. The post-COVID flat cap environment simply made matching Kadri’s open market value impossible, though, and at age 31, he was never going to have a better opportunity to cash in on a long-term deal. Colorado had fits trying to replace him as their #2 center behind Nathan MacKinnon, rotating through lower-cost or younger names like Alex Newhook, Ryan Johansen, and Casey Mittelstadt until finally addressing the hole in a meaningful way by splurging for Brock Nelson from the Islanders at last year’s deadline.
Nelson has flourished this season, racking up 30 goals and 52 points in 60 games while playing over 19 minutes per night. Nelson could shift to the wing to make room for Kadri down the middle in the top six – he did spend some time on John Tavares‘ flank early in his career in New York. In any event, the Avs have an excess of options down the middle with Roy, Ross Colton, Jack Drury, and Parker Kelly all able to comfortably hold things down on the third or fourth lines. If Colorado really wants to spread the wealth, it could slot in Kadri on the third line down the middle behind Nelson and look to get him extra ice time on the top power play unit to maximize his value.
Kadri, 35, owns a 12-29–41 scoring line in 61 games this year for the Flames that’s relatively uninspiring given his recent track record. He didn’t make an overwhelming first impression in Calgary with 56 points in 2022-23, but he followed that up with a 75-point year in 2023-24 and then a career-high 35 goals last season.
Kadri’s age and term remaining will be something of a concern, seeing as he’s now on the Avs’ books through 2028-29. It’s important to consider that Kadri didn’t miss a single game due to injury over his three-plus years in Calgary and last landed out of the lineup when he fractured his right thumb in the 2022 Final with the Avs. Even then, he hasn’t missed double-digit games in a season due to injury since before the pandemic.
Whatever concerns the Avs may have about Kadri’s production this year certainly weren’t enough to stop them from reacquiring him, plus an ugly 6.9% shooting clip should turn around in short order and help him get hot for Colorado down the stretch. A two-time All-Star, he’s played the least for the Avs out of his three NHL stops but reached the playoffs each time.
In contrast, no team has more premier draft picks in the next few years than the Flames. They already had an impressive stable before the deal, but now own a pair of first-round picks each in 2026, 2027, and 2028 and have eight second-rounders over the next three years as well.
They’ll take a bit of money back in the deal in the form of Olofsson, a pending UFA at a cap hit of $1.575MM. A strong finish to the year could result in an extension if he’s open to staying in Calgary; they’ll need to retain a few veteran bodies to fill out their forward group next season. He ended up being a shrewd depth pickup for the Avs last summer, scoring 11 goals and 25 points in 60 games, but became a redundant luxury they couldn’t afford after adding Kadri and Roy into the mix.
Curran won’t make a huge splash in Calgary’s already excessive prospect pool but is a nice get nonetheless. The 6’3″ center is still 19 years old and was a fifth-round pick by Colorado in 2024. Ranked as their #7 prospect entering the season by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff, he’s produced over a point per game over his last two seasons in the WHL and has committed to UMass for the fall before potentially turning pro in 2027-28.
Flames general manager Craig Conroy told reporters that the condition on the 2028 first is tied to the condition attached to the 2027 first they sent to Toronto in the Roy deal. That pick was top-10 protected, so in the unlikely event it falls in that range and defers to 2028, the Flames would then receive Colorado’s 2029 first unprotected. The 2027 pick they receive is the better of the Avs’ or Wild’s second-rounder (via Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960).
Image courtesy of Geoff Burke-Imagn Images.
Ducks Trade Ryan Strome To Flames
Veteran forward Ryan Strome is heading from the Ducks to the Flames, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. It’s a seventh-round pick in 2027 headed the other way, per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. The Flames have confirmed the deal.
Strome, 32, is in the penultimate year of his deal, paying $5MM per season. That’s quickly turned into a negative-value deal with Strome struggling to even stick in the lineup this year. He’s had just three goals and nine points in 33 games, plummeting from the six straight seasons of 40-plus points he’d carried in 2025-26.
Strome’s season started on the injured list with an upper-body issue. It’s unclear if it’s been plaguing him for the whole season, but that would provide an explanation for his cratering offense. He’s been a healthy scratch for extended periods as of late as a result. He drew into the lineup against the Islanders on Wednesday, his first appearance since Jan. 26.
It’s not so much a cap dump by Anaheim, who have plenty of space. It’s more of a high-cost pickup by the Flames to give them more flexibility in reaching the cap floor next season. The salary cap floor next season will be $76.9MM, and while the Flames are currently projected to exceed that by nearly $10MM with Strome in tow, they’ll continue to look to move out veterans – Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri chief among them – that could put them in danger of being below the floor next year if they’re not active in free agency. He also gives Calgary some center depth if they do end up moving Kadri, although he has played mostly on the wing in Anaheim this year.
Canadiens Linked To Zach Whitecloud
The Canadiens have held discussions with the Flames around acquiring defenseman Zach Whitecloud from Calgary, Pierre LeBrun of TSN said on Thursday’s “Insider Trading.” He’s one name in a larger push from the Habs to add a right-shot rearguard for their playoff push, LeBrun said.
It would be Whitecloud’s second trade in a matter of weeks. A career-long Golden Knight, Vegas sent him to the Flames in January’s Rasmus Andersson deal, largely as a cap casualty to permit them to make more additions closer to the deadline. Vegas achieved that goal and was able to pick up Cole Smith and Nic Dowd this week to augment their forward depth without moving out a contract or having retained salary involved.
He wouldn’t be a rental for the Habs, either. He’s got two more years left on his deal at a $2.75MM cap hit. That’s strong value for the high-end bottom-pairing role he played in Vegas, but he’s been exceptional in a short sample for the Flames while essentially operating as their top defender now without Andersson or MacKenzie Weegar. He’s averaged over 23 minutes per game, a sharp rise from the 17-to-19 he routinely saw in Nevada, and has posted four assists with an even rating while controlling 54.9% of shot attempts at 5-on-5.
Whitecloud wouldn’t be slotting into a top-four role in Montreal – Kaiden Guhle (on his off side) and Noah Dobson have that covered – but he could be an upgrade over current #3 righty Alexandre Carrier, who’s having an underwhelming season. There’s also the opportunity, by augmenting their right-shot depth, to ice lefties Guhle, Lane Hutson, and Mike Matheson on three different pairings and sending Jayden Struble to the press box.
As for what the return might look like, the Habs have just $1.49MM in cap space and can’t take Whitecloud on outright without Calgary retaining salary, something they’re not keen on doing to keep their retention slots open for higher-priced targets. Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette earlier this week said that the Flames have an eye on the Habs’ Arber Xhekaj.
He’s decisively Montreal’s #7 defender and has just two points in 51 games this season while averaging under 12 minutes per night, but his 6’4″, 240-lb frame and physical style have always generated intrigue. He carries a $1.3MM cap hit, and the Habs may not be too keen on qualifying him at that price, given how little he’s been used, so moving him out would give them just enough cap flexibility to take on Whitecloud but wouldn’t allow them to make any other moves without shipping out more salary.
Mammoth Acquire MacKenzie Weegar
3/5/26: The Mammoth have recalled defenseman Dmitry Simashev from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. Armstrong told the media yesterday that he expects Weegar to be unavailable for 10 days at most as the team finalizes his visa, allowing him to work in the United States. With Weegar sidelined and Maatta off to Calgary, the Mammoth had a need for an additional defenseman – a need that has been filled by this recall.
Simashev, 21, was the No. 6 pick of the 2023 draft, and in in his first full season of professional hockey in North America. He’s split time between Utah and Tucson, scoring 28 points in 30 games at the AHL level, and one point in 24 games in the NHL.
9:00 p.m.: The trade has now been officially announced by both teams. Utah GM Bill Armstrong issued the following statement regarding the addition of Weegar:
MacKenzie is a high-end defenseman with the type of leadership and work ethic that we want in a top-four blueliner. Acquiring MacKenzie solidifies our back end as we continue to push towards the playoffs, and he will be a great addition to our team on and off the ice.
The terms of the deal were confirmed to be what had been previously reported. Utah acquired Weegar in exchange for Maatta, Castagna, and three 2026 second-round draft choices. (via Utah, via New York Rangers, via Ottawa) Flames GM Craig Conroy told the media that Calgary was on Maatta’s 10-team no-trade list, meaning both Weegar and Maatta needed to, and ultimately did, sign off on being traded.
7:00 p.m.: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Utah Mammoth and Calgary Flames are finalizing a trade for defenseman MacKenzie Weegar. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reported that Weegar has agreed to waive his contractual protection against a trade in order to facilitate the move to Utah. The deal has not yet been officially confirmed.
According to Frank Seravalli, the Flames are acquiring veteran defenseman Olli Maatta, a prospect, and three second-round picks in exchange for Weegar. Francis reported that the prospect involved is Jonathan Castagna, a 20-year-old center currently playing college hockey at Cornell University.
The Mammoth entered deadline season coveting a right-handed shooting defenseman, and they have seemingly landed a top target. Not only is Weegar one of the better two-way defensemen in the league, but he’s arguably the best at being able to play on both sides of the blue line. That’s an added level of versatility that should complement the existing defenders in the lineup in Utah.
From Weegar’s perspective, the significant decision was likely about whether to commit what is likely to be the rest of his best playing years to the Mammoth. Utah (or previously the Coyotes) have made the playoffs once since 2011-12. Weegar is under contract for an additional five years beyond this one at a $6.25MM cap hit. When his contract expires, he will be 37 years old.
When deciding whether to commit to the Mammoth, Weegar undoubtedly had to consider whether he feels he’ll be able legitimately compete for a Stanley Cup championship. Utah are an ascending team, to be sure, but there is still a difference in near-term competitiveness between them and, say, the Tampa Bay Lightning or Colorado Avalanche.
The on-ice fit in Utah appears to be there, at least. The Mammoth boast several high-quality defensemen, but his best fit may be on their second pairing alongside John Marino, a spot currently occupied by 34-year-old Nate Schmidt. He could also play alongside Ian Cole, which would likely mean playing on the right side.
In any case, the Mammoth are adding a versatile, extremely reliable defenseman for their playoff push, and for several future playoff pushes.
Weegar has been an all-situations minutes-eater for the Flames this season, averaging 23:06 time-on-ice per game, including usage on both sides of special teams.
From the perspective of the Flames, they have added some useful future assets in this deal.
While the return for Weegar notably lacks a high-end young asset going the other way, adding three second-rounders (presumably the trio of second-round picks the Mammoth have for the 2026 draft) is still extremely valuable.
There are talented players to find in the second round every year, and odds are the Flames will have the chance to draft a few future NHLers with those picks. One of the draft picks originally belonged to the New York Rangers, and its one that is likely to be near the top of the second round of the draft order.
In addition to the picks, the Flames added Maatta, who is a useful veteran defenseman in his own right. He’s a player who needed a fresh start, having been a frequent healthy scratch, and he’s now gotten one in Calgary, where he’ll likely play heavy minutes. He’s averaged just 12:03 time on ice per game this season, way down from his career average of 18:16 per game.
Maatta is under contract for an additional two years at a $3.5MM cap hit, and if he can effectively weather the minutes he’s likely to receive as a Flame, he could be a candidate for the Flames to trade at some point down the line. If that ends up being the case, the Weegar trade could still yet add even more future assets to the Flames organization.
The final piece of the Flames’ return for Weegar is Castagna, who as mentioned is currently a top center for Cornell. The 2023 No. 70 overall pick has had a strong bounce-back year, and according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, is an “excellent athlete and skater.” Wheeler noted Castagna was set to slot in as the No. 12 prospect in Utah’s system in his upcoming prospect pool rankings. Francis reported that the Flames are “very excited” about adding Castagna.
While he’s not a high-pedigree prospect with a strong chance of changing the fortunes of the Flames franchise, his addition fits the strategy the Flames appear to have taken with this deal: they’re looking for as many chances as possible to get future long-term NHL contributors.
The Flames, as currently constructed, have quite a few roster needs, so it’s understandable that they would rather spread out their return and give themselves as many chances as possible to land a quality player, rather than shift all of their eggs in one basket in hopes of one target turning into a star.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Latest On Adam Klapka
- With the Calgary Flames sitting near the bottom of league standings, the focus for the rest of the season is undoubtedly on maximizing the growth and development of the team’s younger players, something that will be especially true after the trade deadline. One player poised to get an increased opportunity on the ice is 25-year-old winger Adam Klapka, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Francis. Klapka is already a success story for the Flames’ player development team, as the massive 6’8″ has blossomed into an NHLer since signing as an undrafted player out of the Czech Extraliga. But the Flames, including head coach Ryan Huska, appear to believe there is room for Klapka to provide even more value on the ice. Under contract for an additional season at a $1.25MM cap hit, Klapka will be one of the players to watch in Calgary moving forward, as he’s poised to gain a greater role once the Flames make their trade deadline moves. Through 57 games this season, he has notched five goals, 12 points, and 215 hits.
Avalanche Interested In Nazem Kadri Reunion
The Avalanche have already been busy opening cap space ahead of the trade deadline, taking a slight hit to their blue line depth to swap out Samuel Girard for Brett Kulak in Tuesday’s deal with the Penguins. They’re now projected to have close to $11MM in cap space on deadline day. That leaves them wide-open to acquire a big-name target to bolster their chase for the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup.
One of those targets is coming into view: Flames pivot Nazem Kadri, whose career year for the Avs in 2021-22 helped guide them to their only Cup win of the Nathan MacKinnon era, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports. That comes amid Kadri’s name rocketing up trade lists following reports that he’s had a change of heart on his willingness to stay in Calgary long-term, plus Pagnotta indicating today that the Flames are open to retaining a portion of Kadri’s $7MM cap hit.
With a 13-team no-trade list, Kadri can block a move to several contenders. The Hurricanes, who were purported to have interest in him earlier this season, were reportedly on that list. It’s a relative certainty, though, that Kadri wouldn’t welcome a return to the destination where he had his greatest offensive success, which he then parlayed into his seven-year, $49MM free agency cash-in with Calgary in 2022.
Now 35, Kadri’s deal still has another three seasons left on it. He’ll be 38 when it’s up. For a cap-strapped team like the Avs, that makes a deal a non-starter without retention because of its long-term impact, even if they have the space to pull it off this season. If Calgary is willing to make him closer to a $5MM or $4MM player through 2028-29, though, that suddenly makes it a workable addition for Colorado. They’re up to $13MM in flexibility for next season after the Girard-for-Kulak trade with seven roster spots to fill. Bringing that figure back under $10MM with a Kadri pickup, assuming they don’t send a significantly-paid roster player the other way, would preclude them from making any major additions this summer as things stand, but it would still allow them to fill out a full roster with depth signings.
The presumption that the Avs wouldn’t send a roster player back may be hasty, though. They’re one of the deepest clubs in the league at every position, their prospect pool notwithstanding, and could easily stand to leverage a third-line name like Jack Drury or an even pricier one like Ross Colton in talks if the Flames have an interest in either.
If there’s a relative weakness on Colorado’s roster, it’s having Drury in the third-line slot down the middle. His eight goals and 19 points in 56 games this season are somewhat underwhelming on a team that scores as much as the Avs for a player averaging nearly 15 minutes per night. He’s nonetheless been incredibly valuable in the faceoff dot, winning 58.6% of his draws.
What Kadri lacks in faceoff acumen, he more than makes up for in what would likely give the Avs one of the best one-two-three punches down the middle in the modern era with MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, and himself. Even in a relatively down year for the late bloomer (at least in terms of him being a true top-six piece), he’s put up 39 points in 56 games to lead Calgary in scoring. That’s a 57-point pace over 82 games, and his recent history remains exceptional, with 35 goals last year and 75 points the year before.
It’s fair to question if a Kadri acquisition would cause the Avs to invest too much into aging assets for too long, though. While Nelson has exploded for 30 goals and 50 points in 56 games, he’s 34 years old and signed for two more years at a $7.5MM cap charge. With Cale Makar‘s next big payday scheduled for 2027, loading up too much past next season could leave them with too little flexibility to get a deal done.
Among the other teams that have expressed some level of interest are the Canadiens, as previously reported, plus Colorado’s Central Division challengers, the Stars and Wild, Pagnotta reports. He also added the Panthers as a team that’s kicked the tires, but that likely hinges on their decision to enter the deadline as buyers at all – something that’s looking less and less likely with a playoff spot now eight points out of reach.
Image courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.
Kadri Now Hoping For A Trade
Nazem Kadri has been no stranger to the rumor mill over the last couple of years with the Flames in the middle of a rebuild of sorts. While his public comments have consistently indicated a desire to remain in Calgary, it’s possible that he’s having a change of heart. In a recent TSN Insider Trading segment, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the veteran now wants to be traded at this point while the team continues to test the market on him. The 35-year-old should have a decent market given the dearth of quality centers available but having three years left after this one on his contract with a $7MM price tag could give some suitors some pause. Despite Calgary’s struggles this season, Kadri leads the team in scoring with 10 goals and 29 assists in 56 games.
Martin Pospisil Had Nagging Injury During Olympics
With the chance to win his third Gold Medal, all eyes are on whether captain Sidney Crosby will play for Team Canada tomorrow. Crosby left Canada’s quarterfinal matchup against Czechia due to a lower-body injury and didn’t appear in the semifinal contest against Finland.
Earlier today, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported that there’s a “70% chance” that Crosby will play tomorrow. Head coach Jon Cooper and the rest of Team Canada’s staff wanted to see how Crosby handled practice this morning and what his limitations will be tomorrow morning (local time).
Regardless, it would be unimaginable for Crosby not to play in what is likely the last Olympic tournament of his career. Even if he has to take a page out of Victor Hedman‘s book, who remained on Team Sweden’s bench for the quarterfinal game after suffering an injury in warmups, Crosby will likely suit up in some capacity tomorrow.
Other notes from the Olympics:
- One player who will not play for Team Canada tomorrow is defenseman Josh Morrissey. Earlier this week, it seemed that Morrissey might return from his upper-body injury by the semifinals. However, Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press reported that he has already been ruled out of the Gold Medal game. Media personnel asked Cooper if he could clarify Morrissey’s injury and if he suffered any setbacks, to which Cooper replied, “No. With all due respect to Winnipeg.“
- After leaving yesterday’s game in the third period for precautionary reasons, Tage Thompson was back on the ice with Team USA this morning. Given that he was back on the ice, there’s every indication he’ll be in the lineup tomorrow morning. He has had a strong performance so far, scoring three goals and four points in five games with a +3 rating.
- In today’s Bronze Medal game between Finland and Slovakia, the latter club was without Martin Pospisil, who has been dealing with a nagging injury for most of the Olympic tournament, according to Arpon Basu of The Athletic. There could be some cause for concern, given that Pospisil missed a decent chunk of the 2025-26 season due to an undisclosed injury in training camp. He finished the Olympics with one assist in six games.
Flames Activate Blake Coleman And John Beecher Off IR
The Flames will welcome back a pair of forwards when their schedule resumes on Thursday against San Jose. Per the NHL’s Media Site, Calgary has activated Blake Coleman and John Beecher off injured reserve.
Coleman has been out of the lineup since early January when he suffered an upper-body injury against Boston. The 34-year-old has played in 44 games this season, picking up 13 goals and eight assists while averaging 17 minutes per night of playing time.
Of course, Coleman is known more for his physicality and two-way game. He’s averaging 2.5 hits per game, his highest mark since the 2019-20 season while he’s averaging more than two minutes per night of shorthanded playing time, second among Calgary forwards.
As a result, Coleman has been a highly speculated trade candidate in recent months, especially since he’s not a pure rental. He has one season left after this one on a contract that carries a cap hit of $4.9MM. Being able to get back in the lineup and show that he’s healthy will only bolster his value before the March 6th trade deadline.
Beecher, meanwhile, is also returning from an upper-body injury from more than a month ago, sustained against Nashville. Claimed off waivers from Boston back in mid-November, the 24-year-old has two assists in 19 games with the Flames in 9:38 per contest of playing time. He’ll likely return to his fourth-line spot coming out of the break.
For the time being, Calgary is now at the maximum of 23 players on its active roster. However, winger Jonathan Huberdeau is currently on that active roster but won’t return this season due to hip surgery. Accordingly, he’s a safe bet to move to injured reserve whenever the Flames need to open up a roster spot.
Flames Recall Matvei Gridin
The Flames announced they’ve recalled winger Matvei Gridin from AHL Calgary. With only 11 forwards on their active roster, including the injured Jonathan Huberdeau, it stands to reason he’ll be sticking with the team out of the break, not just for practice purposes this week.
Gridin, still just 19, was the Flames’ second first-round choice in 2024, going 28th overall after they selected defenseman Zayne Parekh ninth overall. Prospect evaluators were split on the pick. He entered the season as Calgary’s No. 10 prospect according to Corey Pronman of The Athletic, but was ranked as high as No. 4 – the second-best forward prospect in the system behind last year’s first-rounder Cole Reschny – by NHL.com.
The difference in projection lies in Gridin’s all-around game. The 6’1″, 190-lb winger’s skill is undeniable, but there were concerns that his offensive game relies too much on perimeter play and he lacks the physicality necessary to create quality scoring chances for himself at the NHL level. After playing in the USHL during his pre-draft season, he moved to a slightly more competitive junior league, the QMJHL, for his post-draft season. Gridin scored 36 goals and 79 points in 56 games for the Shawinigan Cataractes, ranking fifth in the league in points per game (1.41) while being named the league’s rookie of the year.
The Flames saw a more NHL-ready talent in Gridin than some scouts did. He turned a strong training camp into a spot on Calgary’s opening night roster, scoring in the season opener but otherwise going pointless with a -3 rating in four games before the Flames assigned him to the AHL. He was recalled again in mid-January, appearing in nine consecutive games before the break, before Calgary sent him back down to continue playing during the Olympics.
All told, it’s been a smooth transition to pro hockey for the Russian. He was productive on his second call-up and now has three goals and six points through his first 13 NHL appearances. Averaging 14:05 per game, his 0.46 points per game are already good for eighth place on an offensively woeful Flames team. With Huberdeau done for the year thanks to hip surgery, there will be even more opportunity for Gridin to tamp down a top-nine role heading into next season.
Things went similarly well for Gridin in the AHL. He’s scored 10 goals and 29 points in 36 games, including a +1 rating on an offensively dynamic but defensively porous Wranglers squad.