Before Saturday’s 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Calgary Flames had dropped four straight games and found themselves navigating yet another tough stretch of losses. That will only intensify conversations about the future of a franchise that has yet to enter full rebuild mode.
Calgary, tied for third-fewest total points in the Western Conference, keeps slipping in the playoff picture, and it’s hard to envision a turnaround during the second half of the season.
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The situation framed a segment of Friday’s edition of TSN’s “Insider Trading,” where Darren Dreger revisited a familiar Flames topic with a slightly different update to those of the past.
“I would describe [a Nazem Kadri trade] as a possibility,” Dreger said. The analyst pointed to the league calendar turning toward the Olympic roster freeze on Feb. 4 and the March 6 trade deadline.
Dreger stressed that while nothing is imminent on the trade front, circumstances are aligning in a way that hasn’t existed previously.
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“My sense with Nazem Kadri is this: if an opportunity was presented to go to a top contender in the NHL, then he would be willing to listen to that,” Dreger said. “The man is 35 years old, and he wants to win a Stanley Cup.
“He’s not going to push it, and we know that the Calgary Flames have other pieces that are drawing more of the attention from [GM} Craig Conroy’s perspective, but the intensity around Kadri is definitely heating up.”
Kadri has been linked to trade speculation for more than a calendar year, yet has remained with the Flames since signing his seven-year, $49 million deal in 2022.
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Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (91) with his family during the ceremony for his 1,000th game in the NHL.Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
One thing helping the situation is Kadri’s no-movement clause, which converted into a 13-team no-trade list this year. With that change, the Flames can now move Kadri to 18 teams without requiring approval from the player.
Despite the noise, Kadri continues to play a key role for Calgary and produce as the leader of the team. Since joining the Flames, Kadri has scored 230 points in 291 games, and this season alone, he’s already at 32 points in 45 games played
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Calgary is not under pressure to act, given that Kadri is signed through the 2028–29 season, and his value should not drop anytime soon with three years left in his deal.
The Flames are back in action on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday.
Related: Maple Leafs Make Roster Move After William Nylander Injury Update
Related: Nick Kypreos Suggests Unexpected Maple Leafs’ Trade Chip
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.