Photo: Sportsnet

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, unrestricted free agent center Nazem Kadri, who is coming off of a Stanley Cup win with the Colorado Avalanche last season, will sign a seven-year contract that carries a $7 million cap hit with the Calgary Flames after a rumored contract with the New York Islanders fell through. The Flames dealt center Sean Monahan and a first-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens to make room for the 32-year-old.

Nazem Kadri, signed 7x$7M by CGY, is a top six centre whose production suddenly took off in 21-22. He’s a dual threat who likes to shoot the puck but has strong playmaking skill as well. Finishing is very inconsistent. Nobody sends passes to the point more than he does. #Flames pic.twitter.com/W6PFCXABNm

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) August 18, 2022

Kadri set career-highs in assists (59) and points (87) in 71 regular-season games, where he won 49.7% of the faceoffs he took. He also earned seven goals and 15 points in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Kadri averaged 3:53 on the power play (third among Avalanche forwards) and 28 seconds on the penalty kill (10th) last season.

He has earned 219 goals and 512 points in 739 career regular-season games with the Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs but never topped 61 points in a single season and eclipsed 50 just three times prior to 2021-22. Kadri scored 32 goals in back-to-back seasons with the Maple Leafs from 2016-18, the only times he hit 21 goals in a campaign before this past season.

In 52 career postseason outings, Kadri has 19 goals and 44 points.

After losing left-wings Johnny Gaudreau (who signed a seven-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 13) and Matthew Tkachuk (who was traded to the Florida Panthers nine days later), who both hit the 100-point plateau last season, the Flames have brought in left-wing Jonathan Huberdeau (who tied Gaudreau for second in the NHL with 115 points and led it with 85 assists in 80 regular-season games), top-pairing defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, and now Kadri. Weegar and Huberdeau, who signed an eight-year contract extension that carries a $10.5 million cap hit on August 4, were both involved in the deal that sent Tkachuk to Florida.

The Flames averaged 3.55 goals-per-game (sixth in the NHL) and were 22.9% efficient on the power play (10th) in 2021-22, which ended with a five-game second-round exit to the Edmonton Oilers.

Kadri reportedly turned down a trade to Calgary from the Maple Leafs in 2019 before he was dealt to Colorado.

Sean Monahan, traded to MTL, is a fourth-line forward whose shot has gone from a major strength to a serious weakness. Injuries have done a number on his offensive game. #GoHabs pic.twitter.com/Koqod0AZZ4

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) August 18, 2022

Monahan, who has one season left on a contract that counts $6.375 million against the salary cap, tallied just eight goals and 23 points in 65 regular-season games and did not appear in any postseason outings. The 27-year-old has earned 212 goals and 462 points in 656 career regular-season games, all with the Flames. He has also notched 10 goals and 21 points in 30 career postseason contests.

**Breaking News** 🚨 📰
I’m told the ⁦@NHLFlames⁩ are working on a potential deal to move C Sean Monahan, and… The ⁦@NHLFlames⁩ are signing UFA C Nazem Kadri. ⁦@espn⁩ ⁦@NHLNetwork⁩ @NHL #HockeyTwitter pic.twitter.com/yvUZ36YJXX

— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) August 18, 2022

By Harrison Brown