NHL Trade Rumors: Avalanche nearly reunited with Nazem Kadri before last-minute Nicolas Roy deal

Nazem Kadri reunion talk quietly gathered momentum around the Colorado Avalanche this week, just as the league leaders continue shaping their roster for another championship push.

Sitting atop the National Hockey League standings, Colorado has already been active ahead of the deadline, including an Avalanche trade that brought Nicolas Roy over from the Toronto Maple Leafs. But behind the scenes, a different move nearly stole the spotlight.For a brief moment, the possibility of bringing back Nazem Kadri, one of the emotional leaders from the Avalanche’s 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs run, appeared within reach.

Instead, the deal dissolved late in discussions, leaving Colorado to pivot quickly. The near reunion offers a glimpse into how aggressively the Avalanche front office is working to strengthen a roster that already looks built for another deep playoff run.

Why the Nazem Kadri reunion never happened for the Avalanche?

According to Drew Livingstone of SDPN, the groundwork for a Nazem Kadri return was already in place between the Avalanche and the Calgary Flames before it unexpectedly unraveled.

“Sounds like Calgary and Colorado had a deal in place for the Avs to reunite with Kadri with the Flames retaining some of the contract. Flames ownership stepped in and kiboshed it so the Avs pivoted to landing Nicolas Roy from the Maple Leafs,” Livingstone posted on X.The report suggests that Colorado was serious about reuniting with a player who helped define its last championship core. Kadri’s energy, edge, and timely scoring played a key role during that 2022 title run, when he produced 15 points in 16 playoff games on the road to the Stanley Cup.Veteran insider Elliotte Friedman later confirmed that discussions had indeed taken place. The talks, however, never quite crossed the finish line.“Prior to trading for Nicolas Roy, Colorado and Calgary did discuss Nazem Kadri. I have to assume the same picks Toronto received (a first and a fifth) were available, and there was an understanding of some level of retention. Never got over the finish line,” Friedman wrote.Salary retention appears to have been a major hurdle. For Calgary, agreeing to hold back part of Kadri’s contract may have required ownership approval, and that approval never came. Once the possibility faded, Colorado quickly redirected its focus and secured Roy instead.Kadri’s history with the Avalanche makes the near miss especially intriguing. Drafted seventh overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2009 NHL Draft, he later spent three memorable seasons in Colorado after a 2019 trade from Toronto.

His playoff performance in 2022 remains one of the defining chapters of that championship season.There is still a twist worth noting. Kadri’s contract includes a modified no trade clause, though it does not fully block a potential move. In theory, a deal could still emerge before the deadline if circumstances change.For now, though, the Avalanche move forward with Roy while the idea of a Kadri reunion lingers as one of the more fascinating what if stories of this trade season.