With the start of the 2025–26 NHL regular season just around the corner, trade rumours are bound to pick back up again. The Calgary Flames will always be a team linked to rumours, suggesting that the team’s veterans could be on the move. Among those players is Nazem Kadri.
Kadri is turning 35 in October, and while he’s liked his time as a Flame so far, he wants to win and is eager to get back into the playoffs. However, that likely isn’t the reality for the Flames right now, which is why rumours surrounding a Kadri trade have been loud.
While a Kadri trade includes a lot of aspects, moving him for the right package would make sense. As for teams, several have been mentioned, but a recent suitor may have emerged. The Florida Panthers have recently received devastating injury news surrounding their captain in Aleksander Barkov, and if the team gets desperate, could Kadri be a player they look to target?
The Panthers’ season has changed for the worse
As mentioned above, the Panthers have received some pretty grim injury news surrounding Barkov. During one of the team’s practices, Barkov would suffer an injury and would have to be helped off the ice. It was later determined that he suffered an ACL and MCL injury, and his minimum recovery period would be seven to nine months, essentially ruling him out for the upcoming regular season.
This is obviously devastating news for the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. When healthy, Barkov is one of the best two-way forwards in the league, and now the Panthers will be without their top-line centre for this season. Not to mention Matthew Tkachuk will also be starting the year injured and is projected to return in December. Those are some huge holes to fill in the Panthers’ lineup.
Enter Nazem Kadri
So, with the Panthers now without their top-line centre for this season, that leaves a huge hole down the middle. If the team is desperate, they’ll want to potentially look for a replacement. Could Kadri be on their list of potential trade targets?
Let’s strictly talk about the fit first before we talk numbers. In my opinion, Kadri would fit like a glove in Florida’s system. Not to mention the team is a proven winner, and you know that’s important to him. While Kadri does have a full NMC, would he agree to waive it to go to Florida? I mean, why wouldn’t he? They’re a contender, a tax-free state, and have nice weather year-round. I’m sure Florida is an amazing place for NHL players to retire, and Kadri isn’t getting any younger.
How would it work under the cap?
Let’s say the Panthers do, in fact, express interest in Kadri. How would they fit him in with their current cap situation? Well, that’s kind of the problem. Currently, Florida is $4.5M over the salary cap. You would think that they’ll just put Barkov and Tkachuk on LTIR, but hold on. The recent NHL CBA agreements are aiming to close the “LTIR loophole” once and for all.
Starting this season, teams can only create up to $3,817,293 in cap flexibility. If the Panthers put Barkov and Tkachuk on LTIR, their added cap hits greatly exceed that number. When it comes to Barkov specifically, the only way the team can get true relief from his cap hit is if they claim that he won’t be playing at all this season. This includes playoffs.
So with that being said, bring Kadri’s salary into the mix, and they’ll be in even more of a struggle. Kadri has four more seasons—including this one—of making $7M per season. The Flames could retain 50% sure, but that means their asking price would just go up, and do the Panthers have those types of assets? Let’s take a look
What assets do the Panthers have to offer for Kadri?
Kadri isn’t going to command a huge haul, but his return should still be significant, especially if he continues playing at a strong level. With that in mind, what assets would the Flames potentially want from the Panthers in return for Kadri?
Draft picks of note: Two 2026 2nds, 2027 2nd, 2028 1st, 2028 2nd
Prospects: ?
For draft picks, the Panthers have two second-round picks in 2026 and one in 2027 and 2028. They’ll have their first in 2028, too. They also have some mid-round picks.
As for prospects, it’s bleak. The Panthers have nobody of note or somebody that sticks out as having true NHL upside. So, if Kadri were to be traded to Florida, the Flames would likely aim for a combination of draft picks. Perhaps the package begins with Florida’s 2028 first-round pick and includes a mid-round pick of some kind? I’m not sure if that would tempt the Flames, to be honest, as I believe other teams would likely come up with a better package.
Final thoughts
So would a Kadri make sense for the Panthers? On paper, he would be a great fit and lessen the impact of losing Barkov, but the logistics behind it don’t add up.
Truthfully, I’m not sure if Florida is willing to commit to a 34-year-old who has four years left making $7M. Also, with the cap situation the Panthers are in, I don’t see how they would make it work bringing Kadri in.
As for the Flames, Florida likely doesn’t have the assets to tempt the team enough to move Kadri. I still believe that the team should shop him, but there are probably other teams out there that have better packages to offer and that are in better cap situations. Of course, expect Kadri’s name to continue popping up in trade rumours, as his status on the team will always be in question if the Flames aren’t competitive.
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