Nazem Kadri (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Montreal Canadiens have never been the type of organization to swing wildly at the trade market. They aren’t chasing quick fixes or headline-grabbing splashes for the sake of it. But if there’s a move to be made that can elevate the group for the long haul, Kent Hughes has shown he won’t hesitate to dig in.
And as this young roster continues to take shape, sources indicate Montreal has remained active in its search for one final piece to complete its emerging core. Nick Suzuki. Cole Caufield. Juraj Slafkovsky. Ivan Demidov. The Canadiens believe the foundation is real.
Now, it’s about finding the right player to round out the top six and take some of the burden off their stars.
Earlier this season, RG linked Montreal to Calgary Flames centre Nazem Kadri as a possible target. The 35-year-old Stanley Cup champion is signed for three more seasons at a $7 million cap hit, and his brand of abrasive, playoff-style hockey is exactly the kind of element the Canadiens have quietly been trying to inject into their lineup.
Montreal did its homework.
Sources confirm the Canadiens checked in on Kadri early in the season, trying to gauge Calgary’s intentions as the Flames flirted with a reset.
And importantly, Kadri does not have Montreal on his partial no-trade clause.
“He would be a game-breaker for them,” said a source familiar with the situation.
There were even breadcrumbs that fuelled the speculation. Calgary head pro scout Steve Pleau was a regular presence at the Bell Centre between November and December, doing little to quiet the idea that something could be brewing between the two clubs.
But as quickly as trade talks heat up in this league, they can cool just as fast.
And by the new year, the Kadri chatter around Montreal had gone noticeably quiet.
Things Change Quickly
So, what changed?
Kadri was an attractive option for more than just his edge and offensive punch. One of the biggest reasons he made so much sense for Montreal was simple: he’s a left-shot centre.
Outside of Joe Veleno, the Canadiens’ centre depth is almost entirely right-handed, leaving them vulnerable on key left-side draws, especially late in games. Kadri represented a rare opportunity to fill that need while adding veteran bite, scoring touch, and playoff experience.
At the time, it was a logical match.
But the Canadiens’ internal picture shifted as the season went along.
Offensively, the rise of Oliver Kapanen into a legitimate top-six look, combined with the steady progression of prized prospect Michael Hage, changed the complexion of Montreal’s needs. The urgency to land a top-six centre specifically began to lessen.
The Canadiens still wanted a left-shot pivot in their top nine, but the path toward solving it looked different.
Then the opportunity arrived.
When Phillip Danault unexpectedly became available out of Los Angeles ahead of the December trade freeze, Montreal pounced. The Canadiens acquired Danault, who has another year remaining at $5.5 million, for a second-round pick, instantly stabilizing their centre depth in the short term.
With Kapanen finding chemistry between Demidov and Slafkovsky, and Danault now insulating the middle of the ice, Montreal’s interest in Kadri understandably cooled, at least for the moment.
That doesn’t mean the door is closed forever. Trade conversations have a way of resurfacing closer to the deadline, especially when prices soften or new injuries reshape priorities. But it does give the Canadiens flexibility.
And flexibility is the currency Kent Hughes values most.
Around the league, the sense remains that Montreal is still open for business, but the target may be evolving. Rather than another centre, teams believe the Canadiens are now more likely to pursue a scoring winger, someone who can ride shotgun alongside Suzuki and Caufield and complete one of the league’s more intriguing young top lines.
Now it becomes a matter of availability and cost.
The Market for a Proven Winner
None of this is to suggest Nazem Kadri won’t command serious attention.
In fact, quite the opposite.
Kadri is exactly the kind of player contenders crave in March: nasty to play against, built for playoff hockey, experienced, and capable of driving offense when games tighten.
And with Calgary willing to retain salary on his $7 million cap hit, sources indicate multiple teams are already circling.
The Minnesota Wild. The Carolina Hurricanes. The Detroit Red Wings. All three have been flagged as clubs to monitor, each looking to shore up their centre depth and each possessing the futures required to satisfy what will almost certainly be a steep Flames asking price.
Minnesota may need to get creative, but they still hold their 2027 first-round pick, and top prospect Charlie Stramel continues to rise at Michigan State.
Carolina remains aggressive as ever in pursuit of postseason punch.
Detroit, meanwhile, is hungry to accelerate its climb back into true contention.
The Flames are expected to play the market patiently, but with Kadri open to the idea of a new chapter, momentum is likely to pick up once the Olympic break passes and the deadline pressure begins to mount.
In this league, one phone call can change everything.
And even if Montreal has shifted course for now, the trade market has a way of pulling teams back in.