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Nazem Kadri

NHL Announces Initial All-Star Rosters

January 5, 2023 at 7:08 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 14 Comments

According to a league release, the NHL has named the first eight selections to the four divisional All-Star teams for the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, Florida.

The league names one player to represent each team at the game, a rule in standing since the league switched to a divisional format for its mid-season talent showcase. A public fan vote will decide the three remaining players per division next week.

Each division’s leader in points percentage after gameplay concludes on January 11 will determine coaches for these teams. The Boston Bruins have already clinched the best such number in the Atlantic at that time, meaning Jim Montgomery will be behind the bench for the star-studded Atlantic Division, arguably the league’s best contingent of talent.

The initial rosters for each division are as follows:

Atlantic Division

Boston: G Linus Ullmark (1st appearance)
Buffalo: C Tage Thompson (1st appearance)
Detroit: C Dylan Larkin (3rd appearance)
Florida: RW Matthew Tkachuk (2nd appearance)
Montreal: C Nick Suzuki (2nd appearance)
Ottawa: LW Brady Tkachuk (3rd appearance)
Tampa Bay: RW Nikita Kucherov (4th appearance)
Toronto: RW Mitch Marner (2nd appearance)

Metropolitan Division

Carolina: LW Andrei Svechnikov (1st appearance)
Columbus: LW Johnny Gaudreau (7th appearance)
New Jersey: C Jack Hughes (2nd appearance)
NY Islanders: C Brock Nelson (1st appearance)
NY Rangers: G Igor Shesterkin (1st appearance)
Philadelphia: C Kevin Hayes (1st appearance)
Pittsburgh: C Sidney Crosby (5th appearance)
Washington: LW Alex Ovechkin (8th appearance)

Central Division

Arizona: LW Clayton Keller (3rd appearance)
Chicago: RD Seth Jones (4th appearance)
Colorado: RD Cale Makar (2nd appearance)
Dallas: LW Jason Robertson (1st appearance)
Minnesota: LW Kirill Kaprizov (2nd appearance)
Nashville: G Juuse Saros (2nd appearance)
St. Louis: RW Vladimir Tarasenko (injured) (4th appearance)
Winnipeg: LD Josh Morrissey (1st appearance)

Pacific Division

Anaheim: RW Troy Terry (2nd appearance)
Calgary: C Nazem Kadri (2nd appearance)
Edmonton: C Connor McDavid (6th appearance)
Los Angeles: LW Kevin Fiala (1st appearance)
San Jose: RD Erik Karlsson (7th appearance)
Seattle: C Matthew Beniers (1st appearance)
Vancouver: C Elias Pettersson (3rd appearance)
Vegas: G Logan Thompson (1st appearance)

The most important note on these rosters is obviously that of Tarasenko’s status. The 31-year-old is on injured reserve with a hand injury, and likely won’t be able to suit up. His replacement will be named shortly.

More to come…

Alex Ovechkin| Andrei Svechnikov| Boston Bruins| Brady Tkachuk| Brock Nelson| Cale Makar| Clayton Keller| Coaches| Connor McDavid| Dylan Larkin| Elias Pettersson| Erik Karlsson| Igor Shesterkin| Injury| Jack Hughes| Jason Robertson| Jim Montgomery| Johnny Gaudreau| Josh Morrissey| Juuse Saros| Kevin Fiala| Kevin Hayes| Kirill Kaprizov| Linus Ullmark| Matthew Beniers| Matthew Tkachuk| Mitch Marner| Nazem Kadri| New York Islanders| New York Rangers| NHL| Nick Suzuki| Nikita Kucherov| Players| Seattle| Seth Jones| Sidney Crosby| Tage Thompson| Troy Terry| Vladimir Tarasenko

14 comments

Training Camp Notes: Stone, Biakabutuka, Mangiapane

September 26, 2022 at 5:49 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 6 Comments

Injury troubles plagued the Vegas Golden Knights last season, something they can ill-afford a repeat of in 2022-23. There’s some good news on that front regarding one of their star players, though, as right wing Mark Stone skated in a contact jersey today for the first time during training camp.

The Golden Knights will count on Stone to have a rebound year as their captain, especially with their offensive depth thinning. The 2021 Selke Trophy finalist and 2019 runner-up played in just 37 games due to injury last season, registering nine goals, 21 assists, and 30 points. Hopefully, the serious back injuries that plagued him last season don’t become a long-term issue for the 30-year-old.

  • Somewhat of a rarity these days, a player attending camp on an amateur tryout might do well enough to earn a contract within the organization. Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes that the Red Wings have been impressed with defenseman Jérémie Biakabutuka, with head coach Derek Lalonde complimenting his skating and compete level. The 20-year-old is set to return to the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders next season but could receive an NHL entry-level contract from Detroit or receive an AHL offer from the Grand Rapids Griffins when his season is over.
  • Calgary Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane was a full participant in camp today after missing the first four days of group skates with what the team called a “minor lower-body injury.” He made his return to scrimmages skating on a line with newcomer Nazem Kadri, a role he’s likely to reprise in the regular season as well. Mangiapane is coming off a career-high 35 goals and 55 points.

AHL| Andrew Mangiapane| Calgary Flames| Derek Lalonde| Detroit Red Wings| Injury| Mark Stone| Nazem Kadri| New York Islanders| NHL| Players| QMJHL| Vegas Golden Knights

6 comments

Snapshots: Karlsson, Perreault, Kadri

September 8, 2022 at 11:51 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 10 Comments

The San Jose Sharks appear to be headed for a rebuild, after trading away franchise icon Brent Burns this summer, or at least a retool around some of their younger options. What that meant for Erik Karlsson, the 32-year-old defenseman with a long injury history and an $11.5MM cap hit wasn’t clear, until he spoke with Corey Masisak of The Athletic.

Karlsson was very clear that he won’t be seeking a trade out of San Jose explaining that he “committed” to the organization a long time ago. He has had some preliminary talks with Grier about the direction of the team but isn’t looking to abandon ship. Of course, while his no-movement clause allows him to decide things like that, it isn’t necessarily up to Karlsson in this case. There aren’t many teams who would be able to afford his deal even if San Jose retained part of it, especially because it still has five years left on it.

  • Mathieu Perreault has retired and joined TVA Sports, according to a release they issued yesterday. While he hasn’t announced it personally, last season did seem like a farewell for the 34-year-old, who played 25 games for the Montreal Canadiens an experience that he called a “childhood dream.” Selected in the sixth round of the 2006 draft, Perreault managed to work his way through the minor leagues and put together an NHL career that spanned more than 700 games. His best season came in 2016-17 with the Winnipeg Jets, when he finished with 45 points (in just 65 games).
  • Now that Nazem Kadri has signed a lucrative, long-term deal, he’s decided to give back to the place that raised him. The veteran forward has made a $1MM donation to the London Health Sciences Centre, establishing the Nazem Kadri Surgical Centre. Kadri signed a seven-year, $49MM contract with the Calgary Flames last month.

Erik Karlsson| Mathieu Perreault| Nazem Kadri| Snapshots

10 comments

Calgary Flames Sign Nazem Kadri

August 18, 2022 at 4:50 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 38 Comments

The Calgary Flames may have lost Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau, but they certainly aren’t rebuilding. After trading Sean Monahan to the Montreal Canadiens to clear enough cap space, the team has signed free agent forward Nazem Kadri to a seven-year, $49MM ($7MM AAV) contract. PuckPedia has the full details:

  • 2022-23: $4.5MM salary + $2.5MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $4.5MM salary + $2.5MM signing bonus
  • 2024-25: $4.5MM salary + $2.5MM signing bonus
  • 2025-26: $4.5MM salary + $2.5MM signing bonus
  • 2026-27: $6.0MM salary + $1.0MM signing bonus
  • 2027-28: $7.0MM salary

Kadri, 31, came into the summer as one of the top free agents on the market after an incredible season with the Colorado Avalanche that included a career-high 87 points and resulted in a Stanley Cup championship. It’s not often a player of that caliber sits on the open market for more than a month but it appears as though the Flames and general manager Brad Treliving (whose birthday is today) are going to be the beneficiaries. Kadri comes to town along with Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, completely changing the look of the team and essentially replacing the production of Gaudreau and Tkachuk.

Treliving released the following statement:Nazem is a highly competitive top six player who makes our centre ice position deep. He brings a high skill level and determination to our group combined with his recent experience of a Stanley Cup championship. We look forward to welcoming Nazem and his family to Calgary and his contributions to our team’s ultimate success.

The issue some will point to is the age of the two-way pivot, who will turn 32 in October, and how he had never really come close to his 2021-22 level of production previously. While that is true, Kadri also offers some things outside his overall offensive production that can make him a valuable part of the team. A strong defensive player who has received Selke Trophy votes on three occasions, he is also willing to engage physically and has had a knack for scoring at clutch moments. Avalanche fans will fondly remember his first playoff run with the team when he led all postseason players with five game-winning goals in just 15 appearances.

Of course, as good as those two performances were, you can’t discuss Kadri without mentioning his other postseason escapades. Three times–twice for the Toronto Maple Leafs and once for Colorado–he has been suspended in the playoffs, arguably costing his team a chance at advancing. While he can say that part of his game is behind him, the most recent incident was just a year ago, and there’s no guarantee he won’t do something to jeopardize his team again in the future.

Still, adding a player like this to the mix keeps the Flames’ competitive window wide open, at least for the next couple of seasons. The Huberdeau extension and this long-term deal for Kadri will likely not end well, though, with the salary cap expected to increase significantly down the road, they at least will get some relief.

One other thing that might be brought up is how Kadri blocked a trade to the Flames just a few years ago, when the Maple Leafs tried to send him west in exchange for T.J. Brodie. The London, Ontario native explained that decision earlier this year in a piece for the Player’s Tribune, saying that it had nothing to do with Calgary and everything to do with trying to stay in Toronto, where he wanted to win. The Maple Leafs would end up sending him to Colorado, a team he couldn’t block, and signed Brodie in free agency instead.

The only way the Flames can afford a player like Kadri is by moving out considerable salary, and that’s what a Monahan trade represents. The 27-year-old forward has a $6.375MM cap hit for next season and has completely fallen off a cliff in terms of production over the last few years. Once a consistent 30-goal, 60-point center, Monahan had just eight goals and 23 points in 65 games this year while seeing his ice time drop to just 14 minutes a night. Injury has hampered his game significantly, and there’s no telling at this point if he’ll ever get back to being a top-six contributor.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Calgary Flames| Elliotte Friedman| Nazem Kadri| Newsstand| Sean Monahan

38 comments

Montreal Canadiens Acquire Sean Monahan

August 18, 2022 at 4:45 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 24 Comments

After news broke that the Calgary Flames will be signing Nazem Kadri, the obvious move to clear cap space was trading away Sean Monahan’s contract. That will be the case as Monahan is headed to the Montreal Canadiens.

Given Kadri’s reported $7MM cap hit, the swap represents just a $625K cap increase for the Flames, who were on the hook for the final season of Monahan’s seven-year, $44.625MM contract. Moving from Monahan to Kadri will cost them more than that though, as Calgary is sending a conditional 2025 first-round pick to the Canadiens in order for them to take the whole contract. Montreal will send future considerations (nothing) back.

The reason the trade took so long to work out is the set of conditions, which are some of the most complicated the league has ever seen.

  • If Calgary’s 2024 first is pick 20-32, Montreal has the option to take that pick (must decide before draft starts).
  • If Florida’s 2025 first transfers to Calgary (from the Matthew Tkachuk trade) then:
    • If Calgary and Florida’s 2025 firsts are both outside the top-10, Montreal will receive the earlier one OR
    • If Calgary’s 2025 first is inside the top-10 and Florida’s is not, Montreal will receive Florida’s
  • If Florida’s 2025 first does not transfer to Calgary then:
    • If Calgary’s 2025 first is not in the top-10, Montreal will receive it AND
      • If Florida’s 2025 first is not in the top-10, it has been transferred to another team, and is better than Calgary’s 2025 pick, Montreal will receive Calgary’s 2025 fourth-round pick
    • If Calgary’s 2025 first is in the top-10, Montreal will receive it UNLESS
      • If it is the first-overall selection, Calgary will retain the 2025 first, and Montreal will receive Calgary’s 2025 third-round pick, and the better of Calgary and Florida’s 2026 firsts.

For the Canadiens, who are trying to orchestrate a full rebuild under new general manager Kent Hughes, going after Monahan is a no-brainer. Adding a premium future asset for nothing more than a year of wasted cap space is exactly how you move things along, even though they will have to make some adjustments if Monahan is healthy enough to play after hip surgery earlier this year.

“Healthy enough to play” seems to be the operative phrase in Montreal right now, as their cap situation could vary wildly depending on the status of Carey Price. If the veteran goaltender is placed on long-term injured reserve again, the team would have some added flexibility. If he does play, it will be interesting to see how the Canadiens fit Monahan in.

Regardless, this is likely not a competitive year for the Canadiens, even though they’ve added some young talent, meaning they can take on salary without any real risk. In fact, should Monahan prove healthy enough, he might even be a nice deadline chip for the team to re-sell. While he is cost-prohibitive at his full cap hit, a retained Monahan for the last part of the season could be an attractive target for contenders looking to add some depth.

Calgary Flames| Montreal Canadiens| Nazem Kadri| Sean Monahan

24 comments

Latest On Nazem Kadri

August 9, 2022 at 2:32 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 6 Comments

One of the running jokes of free agency every year is that if a player hasn’t signed for a while, they probably have a deal with the New York Islanders and Lou Lamoriello just hasn’t announced it. That’s what has been fueling rumors for Nazem Kadri, one of this summer’s top options who remains unsigned partway through August.

Frank Seravalli updated the situation on The DFO Rundown for Daily Faceoff today:

My understanding is [Kadri’s camp] have continued to engage with other teams. For all the reports that Kadri has something locked up with the Islanders, I think that is premature to say. I do think the Islanders have been one of the teams that have been in conversation with Kadri, I think they have put an offer on the table.

Other teams have told me they believe [the Islanders offer] is in the $7MM x 7 range for Kadri. At this point obviously it is not signed, and the fact that they continue to talk to other teams tells me at least that they haven’t agreed to terms with the Islanders. May he end up there? It is certainly possible, but they also have to move money there to make it work. 

The Islanders do have more than $11MM in free cap space at the moment (according to CapFriendly’s projections) but still have Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov, and Kieffer Bellows to factor in as restricted free agents. Dobson especially is expected to take up a huge chunk of that open space should he sign a long-term deal after his breakout 2021-22 campaign. The 22-year-old defenseman had 13 goals and 51 points in 80 games for the Islanders, establishing himself as a premier offensive defenseman in the league, while playing more than 21 minutes a night.

That means fitting Kadri will be difficult, and if Seravalli’s sources are right that the free agent’s camp is still talking to other teams, the Islanders don’t have that plan in place just yet.

Kadri, 31, is coming off a career-best 87-point season with the Colorado Avalanche that eventually resulted in his first Stanley Cup championship. The dynamic center can do just about everything on a hockey rink but still would represent plenty of risk on a seven-year deal. Not only will he turn 32 in October just before the season begins but has a history of supplementary discipline that removed him from important series for both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Avalanche.

Locking him into a big-money, long-term deal would be a bold move for the Islanders, who already have several players with rather hefty cap hits for multiple years and important negotiations right around the corner. Ilya Sorokin, for instance, is only signed through 2023-24 before he is scheduled for unrestricted free agency, while Mathew Barzal will be an RFA again next summer.

Still, it’s hard to know who they are really fighting against at this point, given how capped-out so many contenders are this deep into the summer. Only a handful of teams project to have the space available to fit in a $7MM center, and most of them would likely have no interest in adding a player of Kadri’s age. Remember that even Seravalli’s information could be a negotiating tactic from the Kadri camp, as they try to work out the best deal possible in New York.

Free Agency| Nazem Kadri| New York Islanders

6 comments

Snapshots: Samoskevich, Avalanche, Michigan

August 7, 2022 at 7:09 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 3 Comments

Some college prospects have a plan for when they want to turn pro.  First-round picks, in particular, are often staying for just a year or two before making the jump.  That was the case for several of Michigan’s players last season with one of the exceptions being Panthers prospect Mackie Samoskevich.  The 19-year-old told NHL.com’s Alain Poupart that he doesn’t have a set time in mind for turning pro.  He had 29 points in 40 games for the Wolverines in his freshman year and with several prominent players from 2021-22 making the jump to the pros already, Samoskevich will be in line for a bigger role next season.  How he performs with that opportunity will go a long way towards helping Florida determine if they want him turning pro after that.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • While it’s understandable that Colorado wants to remain in the mix for free agent center Nazem Kadri, Paul Kiszla of the Denver Post suggests that the Avalanche should start to look at other options either by trade or by bringing back someone like Paul Stastny. The Avs don’t have enough money to bring back the 32-year-old at his desired asking price while a deal that might fit in better with their financial structure – the scribe suggests a $6.5MM AAV for four years – also would require some subtraction from their current roster.  Colorado can afford some patience with Kadri’s camp while the market has basically come to a complete halt but at some point, they may need to start looking at alternate plans to fill out their roster for next season.
  • After parting ways with Mel Pearson a few days ago, Michigan has decided to promote from within as they named Brandon Naurato as their interim coach for the upcoming season. The 37-year-old joined the Wolverines as an assistant coach last season after spending three years with Detroit as a Player Development consultant.  Michigan has lost Owen Power, Matthew Beniers, Thomas Bordeleau, and several others but they still have seven NHL draft picks on the roster for next season.

Colorado Avalanche| Florida Panthers| Nazem Kadri| NCAA| Snapshots

3 comments

Snapshots: Hlinka Gretzky, Kolesar, Kadri

August 6, 2022 at 9:11 pm CDT | by John Gilroy 10 Comments

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup concluded tonight with Team Canada defeating Team Sweden 4-1 to take first place and the gold medal. As impressive as a gold medal is, saying just that wouldn’t begin to tell the entire story for Canada’s 2022 Hlinka Gretzky run. For one, the team was undefeated throughout the tournament, and in the process they outscored opponents by a jaw-dropping 34-3 score. In addition to the dominant performance, the Canadians were able to show their dominance on home ice, as the tournament was hosted in Red Deer, Alberta.

Denver Barkey of the London Knights was named the most outstanding player of the gold medal game, while Oshawa Generals forward Calum Ritchie led the tournament in scoring. In net, Canada’s Scott Ratzlaff had the best performance ever by a Canadian goalie in the tournament with three or more games played, as far as goals-against average and save-percentage are concerned, says Brock Otten of McKeens Hockey (link). Otten adds that while most of the top Canadian prospects in the 2005 class held their standard, Ethan Gauthier, Colby Barlow, and Caden Price were able to elevate their game, and thus their standing as prospects (link).

  • SinBin Vegas’s Ken Boehlke discusses Keegan Kolesar’s new three-year, $1.5MM AAV contract he signed recently to avoid arbitration with the Vegas Golden Knights (link). In sum, Boehlke classifies the contract as a win-win for both sides, Vegas getting a cost-controlled fourth-liner and Kolesar getting $4.5MM guaranteed despite not scoring much at the NHL level. What is notable Boehlke says, is that Kolesar’s lack of scoring (just seven goals in 77 games last season) could correlate to his below-average 7.4% shooting percentage and if he can at the least improve his shooting percentage to league average, he could increase his goal total, making him worth a good bit more than the $1.5MM cap hit he currently holds. Even if not, Kolesar has proven himself to be a reliable grinder for the Golden Knights’ bottom-six and at $1.5MM still represents a good value deal for the normally cap-strapped organization.
  • According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, it appears free agent forward Nazem Kadri’s asking price has not come down and the requested AAV still begins with at least a “9” (link). If that is indeed the case, it may provide a hint as to why Kadri remains unsigned, with many teams having spent up to or relatively close to the salary cap. Several teams have the room to sign Kadri, but if he is also looking to go to a team that has a real chance at a Stanley Cup, his options may be slim. Soon-to-be 32, if Kadri is able to regularly repeat his breakout 87 point performance from this season, a $9MM AAV contract would be worth it for the two-way star, but otherwise it could wind up a salary cap issue, even if he’s still a solid performer.

Arbitration| Keegan Kolesar| London Knights| Nazem Kadri| NHL| Oshawa Generals| Prospects| Salary Cap| Snapshots| Team Canada| Team Canada| Team Sweden| Vegas Golden Knights

10 comments

Snapshots: Bratt, Kadri, Huberdeau, Weegar

July 29, 2022 at 5:00 pm CDT | by Ethan Hetu 13 Comments

One of the best players currently still without a contract is New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt. With an arbitration date set for August 3rd, which is fast approaching, Devils fans could not be blamed for being a bit nervous about Bratt’s contract status. An arbitration case and a failure to secure a long-term deal this summer could damage Bratt’s relationship with the Devils, and lower his chances of remaining in New Jersey long-term. According to Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com, an arbitration case looks like where things are headed. Per Novozinsky, contract talks between Bratt and the Devils have “been pretty silent” for weeks, and that the whole situation looks like “another tough negotiation.”

Based on Bratt’s performance last season, it looks like it’s clearly in the Devils’ best interest to get a deal done with their talented winger. Bratt led the Devils with 73 points in 76 games last season, showing great chemistry with face of the franchise Jack Hughes and better goal-scoring touch than he’d shown ever before as a professional. Bratt’s breakout season has left him on strong ground when it comes to negotiations for a new deal, which is likely partially responsible for this stalemate. The Devils have been aggressive in upgrading their team in recent summers, signing players like Dougie Hamilton, Ondrej Palat, and Tomas Tatar to help return them to the playoffs. If the Devils want to solidify their offense for years to come, finding a way to get Bratt’s signature on a long-term deal is in their best interest.

  • Nazem Kadri scored 87 points last season and also won the Stanley Cup. Yet as the calendar is set to turn to August, he remains without a contract for next season. According to Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast, the New York Islanders “are in it” with regard to Kadri, and Kadri’s former team, the Colorado Avalanche, remain interested but are unlikely to move defenseman Samuel Girard in order to create the necessary cap room, as some have speculated they’d do. Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello is notoriously secretive when it comes to his offseason dealings, so it’s possible that the negotiations with Kadri and the Islanders are farther along than anybody truly knows. But based on Friedman’s reporting, we know that they’re at least actively interested in adding Kadri to a center corps that already boasts Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Casey Cizikas.
  • When the Matthew Tkachuk trade happened, many wondered why the Florida Panthers, a team looking to compete for a Stanley Cup next season, would trade both Mackenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau, two elite players. Based on recent reporting, it seems that financial considerations were the prime reason why GM Bill Zito was okay with including them in trades. Per Friedman, Huberdeau was likely looking at a contract similar to Aleksander Barkov’s, around $10MM per year for eight seasons. As for Weegar, Friedman notes that Mikhail Sergachev’s recent $8.5MM AAV deal could be a comparable Weegar is looking to when eyeing his next contract. With major financial commitments already on the books for Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, and Sergei Bobrovsky, among others, it seems that the prospect of expensive extensions for both Huberdeau and Weegar made including them in a deal for Tkachuk all that more palatable for the Panthers.

Calgary Flames| Florida Panthers| Jesper Bratt| Nazem Kadri| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders

13 comments

Snapshots: Kadri, Gomez, Kulak

July 23, 2022 at 8:41 pm CDT | by John Gilroy 10 Comments

As the offseason progresses, more and more names have come off the board, most recently Matthew Tkachuk, MacKenzie Weegar and an unexpected name in Jonathan Huberdeau, as a result of last night’s blockbuster. One name that has remained, perhaps sitting atop that board now, is UFA center Nazem Kadri. Fresh off a Stanley Cup, Kadri haas taken his time to decide, making clear he wants to go to a contender. Considering the contract he could command after his sensational 2021-22, the teams who appear to have made their offseason splashes already, and his desire to go to a contender, Kadri’s options could become more and more limited.

One destination rumored for Kadri has been the New York Islanders, and The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz says one league source confirmed to The Athletic that there are rumblings the Islanders have been making a push for Kadri (subscription required). Bringing Kadri into the fold would make sense for the Islanders, the team needing to improve its underperforming forward group and Kadri a two-way force that spent several seasons under Islanders’ GM Lou Lamoriello when both were with the Toronto Maple Leafs. On the other hand, the center position is pretty well cemented on Long Island, Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Casey Cizikas representing their core. On moving one of those five to the wing, one NHL coach told Kurz that Kadri is a center, not entertaining the idea of moving him to a wing, while an NHL scout wouldn’t consider the idea of moving Barzal off center, but did mention Brock Nelson, a sniper who scored 37 goals this season, as an option for the wing. Of course, all of this is hypothetical, with Kadri still very much a free agent, but the rumblings linking Kadri to the Islanders adds another wrinkle to the ever-developing story.

  • Former star forward, assistant coach, and two-time Stanley Cup Champion Scott Gomez sat down with NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky to discuss his current career and his interest in returning to the NHL in some capacity (link). Since stepping away from his job as assistant coach with the Islanders in 2019, Gomez has worked with ELEV802, a company that builds small ice rink surfaces for children. As much as Gomez seems to enjoy his current role, he expressed interest in returning to the NHL, ideally in a team’s player development office, wanting to work with players individually, adding how important those in that role were to him in his development.
  • Edmonton Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak had a chance to reflect on his trip to the UFA market and his decision to re-sign in Edmonton with Mike Arcuri of EdmontonOilers.com (link). A hometown player and native of Stony Plain, AB, Kulak nonetheless chose to take the experience and see what the market brought to him, considering it a potential once-in-a-career opportunity. Ultimately, the former Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens defenseman chose to stay-put, signing a four-year, $11MM contract, telling Arcuri that Edmonton’s offer gave him and his wife “the balance of things I wanted in my next contract,” citing opportunity, a good team, and dollar value as the things he was searching for. Kulak’s comments serve to shed light on the free agency experience for players and show that the decision is not always solely financial or solely personal, and impacts more than just the player. Coming from Kulak, a good NHL player, but not necessarily the prized-piece like a Johnny Gaudreau, brings light to how the average NHL player looks at these decisions, and even helps consider that no two players are exactly the same and each has plenty on their plate to influence the decision that they and their family members make.

Brett Kulak| Edmonton Oilers| Free Agency| Nazem Kadri| New York Islanders| NHL| Players| Snapshots

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    Cole Caufield Out For The Season With A Shoulder Injury

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