The Toronto Maple Leafs have had quite a busy free-agency season. The team retained Matthew Knies by offering the 22-year-old a six-year, $46.5 million contract with an average annual value of $7.75 million. At the same time, the Leafs also had to trade Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Although the team acquired Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth in a strategic trade to fill the void left by Marner, the Leafs could require some star power. Could Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri be the answer? Kadri isn’t available right now, but what if he were? Would the Leafs have a chance at securing his services? An insider has weighed in on the issue.
NHL Insider’s Realistic Assessment of Toronto Maple Leafs Securing Nazem Kadri
TSN’s Darren Dreger appeared on the July 4 episode of the podcast First Up with Korolnek and Colaiacovo and shed some light on Kadri’s current availability status and the Leafs’ chances of landing the 34-year-old center.
“The truth is, Nazem Kadri isn’t available. I’m not saying that he won’t be available (as the season goes along), but let’s see how things go in Calgary. He likes it in Calgary… But a lot can change between now and the trade deadline.”
But the Maple Leafs would be interested if we were ever to become available, as Dreger puts it straight. “So I hear the speculation, I’ve investigated the interest. If the player were ever available, of course, Toronto would be interested”. The team has good reason to be eyeing the veteran center. Kadri, drafted 7th overall in 2009 by the Maple Leafs, has accumulated 710 points over 985 regular-season games. Moreover, having spent the first 10 seasons of his NHL career with the Leafs, the 34-year-old is familiar with the team and the community.
NHL insider Nick Kypreos agreed with Dreger that the Maple Leafs might be interested in Kadri. The center is currently tied to the Flames in a $49 million contract till 2029. So, what could be the potential cost that the Canadian outfit would incur if it were to trade for Kadri?
Nick Kypreos: Teams have been inquiring about Flames’ Nazem Kadri; Toronto would be one of them – SN 960
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) June 29, 2025
Dreger doubled down on what could follow as soon as Kadri becomes available. Stressing that the Leafs won’t be the sole team in contention for the center, the competition could be fierce. “…if Kadri were made available by Craig Conroy, they are not just making them available just to the Toronto Maple Leafs. And when I look around the National Hockey League and all the teams that are looking for a top-six forward, man, there’d be a betting war.”
In such intense competition, the Leafs do not stand a chance of acquiring Kadri in a breeze. Dreger further breaks down potential players the team could trade for the 34-year-old, but doesn’t sound too optimistic. He quickly stated that the 20-year-old right winger, Easton Cowan, is not a good enough trade. Dreger also noted that trading defenceman Morgan Rielly is totally off the table, thanks to his no-move clause.
Is there any possibility that Kadri returns to the Maple Leafs after six long years? For now, the chances of that happening appear bleak.