Could Nazem Kadri Finally Hit the Ice with the New York Islanders?

Back in the 2022 offseason, Nazem Kadri and the New York Islanders were a bit of an item. Rumors swirled around regarding Kadri’s interest in playing on The Island.

At one point, The Hockey News quoted insider Frank Seravalli as saying that Kadri and the Isles were close to a deal.

However, that deal never materialized. Kadri signed a long-term deal with the Calgary Flames instead. Fast forward to 2024, and it appears Kadri wants out of Calgary.

According to another insider, Darren Dreger, Kadri would like to leave Calgary amid the Flames’ impending rebuild. Now, the Flames haven’t admitted they’re heading for a rebuild. But judging from the way things are going, it looks like it’s only a matter of time before the Flames blow everything up.

If that’s the case, speculation is that Calgary could move Kadri.

That brings us to the New York Islanders. If Calgary is willing to part with Kadri, could this be an opportunity for the Isles to bring him in?

As it stands, Kadri would slide in as the third-line center behind Brock Nelson. Considering that Nelson is an impending free agent, bringing Kadri in could be a potential solution if Nelson doesn’t resign. If Nelson does stay, the Isles could have one of the league’s best center-depth situations.

Nevertheless, the New York Islanders must take Kadri’s $7 million cap hit into consideration. As such, the Isles will need to create cap space to fit him in under the cap ceiling. But with a little creativity, it could work.

What Would It Take to Get Nazem Kadri to the New York Islanders?

Here’s where things get tricky. There are two ways the Isles could pull off this trade.

First, the Isles could part with a first-round pick and a roster player like Jean-Gabriel Pageau to clear cap space. Meanwhile, the Flames could throw in a late-round pick plus retain about 25% of Kadri’s salary. The higher asking price would be higher as the Flames would retain a chunk of Kadri’s cap hit.

Second, the Isles could take on Kadri’s entire cap hit, dropping the asking price. That would mean the New York Islanders would still need to part with a roster player to create cap space while throwing in a couple of mid-round picks. The Isles could get a late-round pick or two in return to seal the deal.

Lastly, the lack of major moves on the part of Lou Lamoriello this offseason could be a signal that he’s waiting for the right deal to come along. Given the Nazem Kadri situation in Calgary, Lamoriello’s wish may be about to come true.

The first few weeks of the season will be interesting to watch in Calgary. If the Flames get off to a bad start, Kadri could be on the block well before Christmas.