Nazem Kadri Reportedly Returns to Avalanche After Trade from Flames, Won 2022 Stanley Cup With Team

Nazem Kadri is heading to back to Colorado after three and a half seasons with the Calgary Flames.

The Avalanche confirmed Kadri's return in a deal with the Flames ahead of Friday's deadline after Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman first reported the deal.

Kadri is signed for two more seasons at a $7 million cap hit before he is set to hit free agency ahead of his age-38 campaign in 2029.

The 35-year-old center had recorded 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists) in 61 games prior to the trade.

The move comes after TSN's Darren Dreger said on Feb. 24 that Kadri "wants to be traded at this point" in his Flames career.

Kadri had just won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche when he originally signed his seven-year, $49 million deal with the Flames in the summer of 2022.

The center had just averaged more than a point per game (28 goals, 59 assists for 87 points in 71 regular-season games) and played a key role as the Avs' second-line center during their run to the championship.

Kadri has remained a consistent 20-goal scorer since then, although he has yet to return to the playoffs since leaving Colorado.

He led the Flames in scoring with a career-high 35 goals last season as the franchise missed the playoffs for a third straight year.

The Flames are now on track to extend that streak to four years after heading into the Olympic break 11 points back of a Wild Card spot.

Calgary will hope their return for Kadri can help the franchise take a step back toward playoff contention for the first time since Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk led the team to the second round of the playoffs in 2022.

Colorado will meanwhile hope adding depth down the center of their lineup can help the team continue its playoff push this spring.

Kadri, who was originally drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the No. 7 pick of the 2009 draft, is one of seven members of his draft class to have scored 300 career goals. He played 10 seasons in Toronto and three in Colorado before heading to Calgary ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.