Avalanche Bring Back Star Center in Blockbuster Trade with Flames

The Colorado Avalanche are reuniting with a former star center that previously helped bring the franchise a Stanley Cup.

Mar 3, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (91) skates during the warmup period against the Dallas Stars at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images | Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Just ahead of the buzzer, the Colorado Avalanche made a blockbuster trade with the Calgary Flames.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Flames are sending center Nazem Kadri back to Colorado, where he won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

Nazem Kadri back to the Colorado Avalanche

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 6, 2026

Kadri recorded 41 points on 12 goals and 29 assists across 61 games for the Flames this season before being dealt to the Avalanche, who currently hold the best record in the NHL at 41-10-9.

Jun 26, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri (91) celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Avalanche game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in game six of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Kadri's Prior Stint in Colorado

After spending the first 10 seasons of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, logging 387 points in 561 games, Kadri was traded to the Avalanche ahead of the 2019-20 season.

He posted 68 points in 107 contests over his first two years with Colorado before earning an All-Star nod and recording 87 points in 71 regular season games for the team in 2021-22.

During the Avs' run to the Stanley Cup that postseason, Kadri put up 15 points in 16 contests on seven goals and eight assists.

The ensuing offseason, he inked a seven-year contract worth $49 million with the Flames. Across a total of 307 games for Calgary, he had 100 goals and 139 assists for 239 points while never making the playoffs over that span.

Now, though, Kadri will return to his former team, who are undoubtedly a Stanley Cup favorite, and look to leave his mark in the Mile High City yet again.

Kadri will remain under contract through the 2028-29 campaign, at which point he'll be 38-years-old.

Flames' Other Blockbuster

On March 4, Calgary parted ways with another one of its veteran stars while sitting well out of the playoff picture.

Defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, who also joined the Flames ahead of the 2022-23 season in the trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, was sent to the Utah Mammoth for a package including Olli Maata, Jonathan Castagna, Utah's 2026 second-round pick, the New York Rangers' 2026 second-rounder and the Ottawa Senators' 2026 second-round selection.

With Weegar and Kadri out of the picture, the Flames have officially turned the page on two of the older members of their core and will look to retool while being tied for the second-fewest points in the league with 55.

Calgary also acquired Ryan Strome from the Anaheim Ducks for a 2027 seventh-rounder and Brennan Othmann from the Rangers for Jacob Battaglia.

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