Over the past few days, there have been many rumours linking the Montreal Canadiens to Calgary Flames centre Nazem Kadri. It was also reported that Kadri does not have the Habs on his 13-team no-trade list, meaning he’d be willing to accept a trade to join the Canadiens. It is no secret that the Habs are looking for a 2nd line centre to play behind Nick Suzuki. At the same time, Kadri is aging, and his contract could become a huge burden to the team by the end of it. With that being said, is it actually worth paying the price for the 35-year-old centre?

LeBrun: Nazem Kadri Is On The Habs Radar… | The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro October 29 2025 https://t.co/8B9HmEAaTq

— Tony Marinaro (@TonyMarinaro) October 30, 2025

While Kadri will be receiving a lot of interest around the NHL, the forward being 35 years old may scare off a few teams from paying a premium price. He will also be under contract until he’s 38, and may slow down over the next few seasons. This alone should drop the price. For a team like the Habs, it won’t be worth trading off a top prospect like Michael Hage or David Reinbacher, and the fact that the $7 million AAV will need to be carried for the next 3 years could end up being a risk, as Kadri will be entering the back half of his 30s, where most players start to decline. As important as it is for the Canadiens to get a 2nd line centre of Kadri’s calibre, there is a lot of risk that comes with his contract that would surely drop what the expected value for him would be.

As the Canadiens look to improve on centre, I can confirm that they are not on Nazem Kadri’s 13 team no trade list.

— David (@DcalabrettaTFP) October 27, 2025

So far this season, Kadri has been the leading scorer on a Flames team that has struggled to produce with 3 goals and 9 points in 12 games. His point totals would actually make him tied for 4th on the Habs with rookie Ivan Demidov. Nonetheless, he is producing 0.75 points per game with very little help, so that has to count for something. If he can maintain the current pace that he’s on, he should be able to get 61-62 points this year, which would be great production for a 2nd liner. Kadri would also likely be a great fit for a year or two alongside Ivan Demidov, who could use some veteran leadership. However, after the 2026-27 season, Kadri’s game likely starts declining as he struggles to keep up with the younger guys in the league. 

On the flip side, he does play a similar game to 37-year-old Brad Marchand who is still showing he’s very capable of producing around 60 points a season, so there is a chance that Kadri can age just a gracefully, but for a team like the Habs who are just entering their playoff contender window, it can be risky to spend $7 million on an aging veteran as they could be stuck with the contract as it fizzles out down the line.

Darren Dreger: If Craig Conroy and Nazem Kadri…decide that Calgary isn’t the right fit…you don’t think the Canadiens, Vanc— go down the list of all the teams that are looking for that 2C, would be all over him? – Barn Burner (10/24)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) October 26, 2025

At the end of the day, from the Canadiens’ perspective, they should pay more than Joshua Roy (a prospect looking for a change of scenery) and a 2nd round pick. The Habs are looking to compete for the long-term future and should either go for a stopgap that lasts no longer than 2 years, or get a player that fits in with the team’s age range, meaning a veteran between 26-30 years old. For the Canadiens, there is probably a better option than could fit the Habs and be worth paying for closer to the trade deadline. There may not be many names on the market yet, but as teams start to approach the deadline in the next few months, there will be other guys that may fit the Habs’ needs better than Kadri solely because of either the length of the contract (Ryan O’Reilly or Sidney Crosby, maybe?) or because their age fits the team’s needs better long-term. There is no need to rush a trade early in November to get that 2nd line centre, while the team is still rolling well. 

What would you be willing to give up for Nazem Kadri?