Nazem Kadri, Calgary Flames
Finally, we have what everyone has been waiting for, which is to bring fan favourite Nazem Kadri back home to Toronto. After all, Kadri was the heart and soul of the team during his time with the Maple Leafs. He had been through it all during their ups and downs, so wouldn’t it be great that he can come back for a second stint to finally help the Leafs get to the next level?
What Kadri could bring with him is his extensive Stanley Cup playoff winning experience that he had with the Colorado Avalanche back in 2021-22.
In fact, in his three seasons with the Avalanche, he was a force for them during the playoffs, putting up 16 goals and 34 points in 33 games played. That valuable experience along with his veteran leadership could do wonders for the aspiring Leafs team that is determined to go beyond just the first round this season. (All stats from NHL.com and all salaries from Puckpedia.com)
Moreover, Kadri has shown to be still productive now entering his age 34 season. Just last year, he led the Calgary Flames in scoring with 29 goals and 46 assists for 75 points.
He continues to be their scoring leader this season with 8 goals and 7 assists for 15 points in 25 games played. However, with a mammoth cap hit of $7 million per season for his salary, the Leafs will be in tough to get the numbers low enough to make it work.
But if they are determined to get him, they should expect the likelihood of the sacrifice of some key picks and/or players in the process. Nevertheless, to bring back someone that could inject instant energy into the entire team is exactly what the Leafs need to make it all the way to the Stanley Cup this time around.