Nazem Kadri trade falls apart!

Several top names still remain available as the clock counts down toward 3 p.m. ET. on Friday and one of them is Nazem Kadri.

But he was reportedly almost on the move. According to Marco D’Amico, the Calgary Flames’ ownership is unwilling to retain on his deal, which significantly limits the market for him.

He also adds that the Flames had a deal in place with the Avalanche, but with retention taken off the table, Colorado pivoted to Nic Roy and pulled the trigger with the Toronto Maple Leafs instead. For Roy, Colorado sent back a conditional first-round pick at the 2027 draft along with a fifth-rounder.

In the event the first-round selection falls inside the top-10, the Avalanche would instead send the Maple Leafs their unprotected first-rounder in 2028. Toronto also gets the lowest of Colorado’s three picks in the fifth round of the 2026 draft as part of the swap.

Kadri has also been linked to the Montreal Canadiens, but the Habs aren’t going to make a move just for the sake of it. They rank fourth in the Atlantic Division, currently hold the top wild-card spot in the East, and have shown plenty of promise this season. But it’s been reported the Canadiens are also taking a closer look at Vincent Trocheck of the New York Rangers. However, they would need to trade Patrik Laine, whose name keeps coming up in trade chatter, to have the cap room for a significant move.

Kadri, a Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, has put up 12 goals and 41 points through 61 games this season. His contract also includes three more seasons with an average annual value (AAV) of US$7 million.

According to Darren Dreger, Kadri will be "deeply disappointed" if he is still with the Flames past the trade deadline.

Calgary dealt defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday.