BREAKING – Flames Reportedly Signing Kadri, Trading Monahan

A long-anticipated potential free agent signing may finally be coming to fruition for the Calgary Flames.

Multiple reports, including ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, suggest Stanley Cup champion Nazem Kadri is set to sign with the Flames.

This comes on the heels of weeks of speculation that Kadri would be joining Lou Lamoriello’s New York Islanders.

Kadri may have gotten tired of waiting for the Isles to dump cap space, but the Flames will also have to make moves to fit Kadri under the cap by the time the season starts. Weekes suggested the team is working on a deal to move Sean Monahan to make the money work.

**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

Minor details seem to be leaking out, with Darren Dreger suggesting the term is the max seven seasons.

Brad Treliving has bounced back nicely from a rough start to free agency. Both Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk chose not to sign long-term deals with the Calgary Flames. But Treliving has added Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar and now Kadri to keep the Pacific Division champs competitive. He also locked Huberdeau up for an additional eight years with an $84-million extension that kicks in next season.

Kadri had 28 goals, 59 assists in 71 games in 2021-22, winning his first Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. The first-round pick started his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He had an opportunity to join the Calgary Flames in 2019 but did not waive his no-trade clause at the time.

No disrespect to Flames

Kadri wanted to stay with the Leafs, but ended up joining the Avs in a deal for Alexander Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie shortly thereafter.

“So what happened is they had a deal in place and they wanted me to move my no-trade clause,” Kadri told Friedman after the Avs deal.

“But you know, obviously, for me, it was no disrespect to Calgary or the Flames organization. I love their team and I love the direction they’re headed, I just figured that had I declined, I would have had a better opportunity of being a Maple Leaf next year. That’s really what it came down to. I wanted to play for the Leafs next year; I wanted to be a part of that. In declining that trade, I had aspirations of being a Leaf and we know clearly that didn’t happen.”

This breaking story will be updated …