Do you think Flames will look to move Nazem Kadri? | Jay on SC

Do you think Flames will look to move Nazem Kadri? | Jay on SC

here are the Calgary Flames off seon moves so far they signed jagor Sharon govic to a 5-year contract extension after a terrific first season with the Flames they added a few other depth players as well it’s more about what they subtracted from the roster though having dealt Jake markstrom to the devils and Andrew mopon to the capitals as we bring in our Calgary bureau chief suum vgi great first of all great to see you it’s been too long how are you buddy I’m doing well Jay uh just had a chance to cover a little bit of the Stanley Cup Final uh I’m about to buy my condo so life is very good but uh very stressful and about to be a lot less money for me so uh yeah it’s it’s been a whirlwind the past little bit so well well well maybe Craig Conroy could dip into uh the Calgary Flames payroll and give you a little bit because he’s got a lot of cap room and you know the Flames as you know suum have consistently avoided that word rebuild but when you look about at what not only what they got back for markstrom and mangani but for the players they dealt throughout the season last year at this point can you finally call it a rebuild let’s say it for everyone in Canada rebuild rebuild rebuild it feels so good I feel like I don’t need therapy anymore after saying that but but that is what this is right if you if you look at what they’ve acquired uh they are serviceable NHL players like Kevin ball and and they sign Jake Bean who’s actually from Calgary uh Anthony mantha another one but but this isn’t a group that that is going to be competitive for a playoff spot and think about this Jay today as if this evening the Calgary Flames have more cap space than any other National Hockey League team more than Chicago more than San Jose and Anaheim those teams that they Scorch to Earth rebuilds are spending more on the salary cap than the Calgary Flames and this is really interesting Jay because four years uh even even after that disastrous 2022 23 campaign the the then CEO John Bean said that we weren’t allowed to use the word rebuild so this is a huge departure from how this organization does business it’s clear that owner Murray Edwards has accepted the idea that they will have a couple of lean Seasons to close out the Salome before they eventually get more competitive and you look at the moves that they made like no stradamus vgi odds are Anthony man is going to be on our TSN trade bait list some point very soon right like it’s clear that they’re accumulating draft picks they’re a place that players can come to up their value and sign a bigger contract next season and it’s a huge departure from how they’ve done things in the past where they hope that they would get in and catch lightning in the ball during the postseason it’s a different time here in Calgary there’s some pain ahead but long term it’s probably the best Thro and you know solemn we know that our mutual pal Darren Dreger has reported that nsam cadri likes it in Calgary likes living there likes playing there but the team has also gotten some some calls on the flame Center do you think it’s just inevitable that that cadri will be moved maybe even before the next season starts well I look at a couple of things Jay number one I think nzim cadry really liked being a mentor to these kids you talked to Conor Zer and Martin posil and even Matt Coronado they credit cadri for a lot of leadership little things he would say on the bench or or sometimes giving them a kick in the rear end when they needed it I think cadri was actually super important to the culture of this group a season ago and he enjoyed that role uh the reality though is Jay number one there’s a salary cap floor right it’s not like the Calgary Flames can load up on players uh making 750 Grand and and that’s their roster they have a floor that they have to meet and frankly cadri helps him get to that floor which is which is in the mid 60 Millions I believe so he’s a big part of the team culture-wise he helps him get to the salary cap floor of course if he requests a trade I’m sure they’ll be open to it and take back a bad contract they like his presence in the room um and and I think he enjoys being being a mentor type figure but like Mike Johnson said on Trade Center uh a couple of days ago Jay come February and this is a season and a half where you’re not playing meaningful games maybe padri does just politely ask to move to a better situation but all indications right now Jay are that they love him here in Calgary and he likes being a Calgary flame and he helps him get to that salary cap floor which suddenly the Calgary Flames are are hovering around after years of of spending right to the salary cap so having said all that solum what do you think Calgary Flames fans can expect next season uh not just on the ice but is it going to be a situation where we’re we’re waiting for that cadri deal potentially even maybe deals for other veteran players like a Blake Coleman for example I don’t think so Jay so Craig Conor told us on Monday two really interesting phrases number one he used the phrase three to fiveyear plan which Flames fans haven’t heard a whole lot of since they want to Standley cup back in 1989 and the second thing he said Jay is Growing Pains now there’s going to be a lot of them come next season Dustin wolf will be your starting goalie he’ll probably get upwards of 30 starts he he is gonna feel it some nights you know they’re going to ice a very young defense group um uh forward wise Connor Zer and cpil these kids are going to be put in high level situations and the reality is that they’re not going to succeed all the time so I think there are going to be nights where it’ll be sad at the Saddle Dome in terms of dealing veterans I don’t think they’re going to go that route I I think they’re very conscious of what Edmonton went through for a long time before they got dry style and McDavid and that culture of losing and how and how tanking doesn’t necessarily work in today’s NHL and and I think those veterans are really valuable in in upholding a standard even if they they aren’t necessarily going to win a lot of games so I don’t think that the veterans are going to get dealt because they are scared of what happened in Edmonton for a long time before this recent run of success they do have a salary cap floor to to hit like I said and and the reality is that there are going to be some nights where they are going to end up on the misplays of the night rather than the Highlight or the best stuff of that particular night but again it’s all long term and I think fans here Jay appreciate that for the first time in a long time there’s a clearcut plan and it involves infusing young players and letting them grow maybe sometimes at the expense of wins but it’s about a lot more than that here in Calgary right now as they enter the uh final stages of the Salome

Are the Flames finally in a rebuild stage? Do you think Calgary will look to move Nazem Kadri? What can Flames fans expect next season? TSN Calgary Bureau Chief Salim Valji joins Jay Onrait to discuss.