Yahoo Sports 'I Think That's The Goal': Nazem Kadri Explains Why The Calgary Flames Should Buy, Not Sell
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With the Calgary Flames in the playoff mix, Nazem Kadri hopes his team will be trade-deadline buyers instead of sellers this season.
“I think that's the goal, is to try to improve, try to become more competitive,” he said in a phone interview Monday. “If you get one or two pieces, all of a sudden you’ve got some momentum, and you're heading into the playoffs fully equipped. That's what we would love to see.”
When Kadri was part of the Colorado Avalanche, GM Joe Sakic's key adds at the 2022 deadline included Artturi Lehkonen, Josh Manson and Andrew Cogliano. That shopping spree led to a Stanley Cup.
Now that Calgary is pushing for the playoffs after two years on the outside, Kadri sees parallels between the 2022 Avs and his current group.
“You always have some similarities and differences, and I think that a lot of teams kind of spin their own version of it,” he said. “But we definitely have some tendencies. A few guys with championship experience — that pedigree really goes a long way, especially in high-pressure situations, big games, trying to make a playoff run. We hold each other accountable, and we have a great time together, which are two important qualities.”
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The Flames set the tone for their year on the first night of the season when they rebounded from a 3-0 first-period deficit to beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-5 in overtime in a chippy affair.
“That really sums up what we're all about — a team that never quits,” Kadri said. “It’s hard to compete with, because how do you truly beat somebody that keeps getting up and coming back for more? We've definitely been able to find some chemistry and have a good mix of great leadership and some young kids that are coming up and playing well and establishing themselves as NHL players.”
One of those kids is rookie Dustin Wolf. The 23-year-old netminder has started 11 of the Flames’ 15 games since Dec. 14, putting up a record of 8-2-1 and boosting his save percentage to .917 for the year.
“His statistics don’t lie,” Kadri said. “He’s been given some favorable matchups this year, but now he’s taken on more of a role. And he’s come prepared. He has the confidence to be a goaltender, and I’m always going to be rooting for him to keep it up. He’s had a stellar season, and he’s ready to put in the work.”
"When I'm in those pressure-cooker situations, you don't really see things for what they are." - Nazem Kadri
A seventh-round draft pick in 2019, Wolf has long been considered an NHL long shot since he’s not as tall as most top-level goaltenders, coming in at six-feet. While Kadri worked his way up the draft prospect rankings to earn the seventh-overall selection by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2009, he battled through his challenges to turn his NHL dream into a reality.
Working on his 2024 memoir, Dreamer, gave Kadri a unique opportunity to step back from the hectic day-to-day life of a pro athlete and reflect on his journey to the top of his sport.
“There was a ton of adversity that I had to fight through both on the ice and off the ice," he said. "When I'm in those pressure-cooker situations, you don't really see things for what they are. You don't understand the magnitude of something so negative and just find a way to process it as best you can in order to have a positive outcome. I'm happy I chose the right path."
Kadri's unique path made him the ideal ambassador for the prairie region for the 2025 edition of Kruger’s Big Assist. Aimed at removing barriers so that more kids will have access to hockey, this year’s program will award $25,000 in prizes to five hockey associations across Canada. An additional $75,000 grand prize will be awarded to the association that best demonstrates how it will make hockey more affordable, accessible and inclusive.
Times have changed since Kadri was a kid, but more work needs to be done.
"I think it's still a work in progress," he said. "Definitely not at the level it probably should be, but even going to my niece's and nephew's games, I can see how the team looks and the multiculturalism that surrounds it. It's really good to see, because that's a big change from from when I was growing up."
"I'm sure there's some untapped talent out there that that could be found." - Nazem Kadri
Kadri says he wouldn’t be the player he is today without the support his parents provided.
“Around seven, eight years old, I'd have to get dressed at home and go through the winter storms,” he recalled. "My dad would carry me from inside, with all my gear on, put me in the nice, warm car. Then he picked me up when we got to the rink and he carried me into the rink. That's quite literally and physically an assist and just goes to show you the dedication they had.”
What would Kadri like to see from the adults at the helm of today's youth programs?
"Try to get out there to those underserved communities and introduce them to the game of hockey," he said. "The Kruger Big Assist is certainly an example of that — facilitating equipment, whatever it is to have that introduction to the game of hockey and see if kids really like it. Which I'm sure they will, because I know how great of a game it is.
"I'm sure there's some untapped talent out there that that could be found."
Nominations for Kruger’s Big Assist are open until Feb. 10.
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