NHL Central

Not everyone in the NHL goes to the cottage in August.

Some–like Nazem Kadri–spent their offseason sweating out where they would play next season and beyond. Kadri got to kick his feet up and relax Thursday after he signed a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Calgary Flames.

Kadri was supposed to wind up on Long Island, instead he’s headed for the Canadian Rockies. More importantly for the Flames, they found a way to complete a roster shakeup that was not planned for when they were eliminated from the playoffs by their bitter rival Edmonton Oilers at the end of May.

The salary cap-pushing Flames weren’t done there. They traded Sean Monahan and a conditional 2025 first-round pick (with some wild conditions) to the Montreal Canadiens for future considerations. Monahan, headed into the final year of his contract, has a $6 million cap hit which is plenty enough to help Calgary get under the upper limit.

Making the moves is one thing but making them work is something else entirely. That’s why we’re going to give snap judgments and decide who won and who lost out of all this.

Winner: Nazem Kadri

A staggering choice for a winner, right?

Kadri went from being a playoff liability for whatever team he played for to a key performer for the Colorado Avalanche in winning the Stanley Cup. It also helps he is coming off an out-of-this-world career season in which he had 87 points (his previous career-high was 61 in 2016-2017). It was the perfect storm of a season for a solid player heading into free agency and he came away with the bag.

He locked up a long-term deal and a payout that will give him the highest cap hit on the Flames this season (Huberdeau's eight-year, $84 million extension begins next season). Kadri will be 32 when the season begins, which means this deal will take him until he's nearly 39 years old and at the likely end of his career. If Calgary can recreate some of the Avalanche’s high-octane offense, it’ll lean into Kadri’s strengths and allow him the chance to recreate the success he had last year.

Loser: Lou Lamoriello

Kadri was supposed to be an Islander. The rumors and speculation all pointed in that direction, and it didn’t happen. After all, there was virtually no hints for nearly a month about what was going on with Kadri and when there’s radio silence, that generally points toward Isles GM Lou Lamoriello being involved.

Think back to last season when the only thing that pointed toward Zach Parise and Zdeno Chara signing with the Islanders was a lot of speculation. It wasn't until September that those signings were announced just ahead of training camp. The logic made sense that Kadri would be headed to Long Island because it followed a similar pattern.

Kadri is a big-name player available and would’ve addressed a need. He also would’ve made Isles fans a bit happier about the team which hasn’t announced a player move since they traded their 2022 first-round pick to Montreal for Alexander Romanov and a fourth rounder at the draft.

While it’s likely Lamoriello has made some moves and kept them quiet (they have a few RFAs to re-sign) silence is not golden and it's arguable the Islanders have not improved a roster that wildly underperformed last season.

Winner: Flames GM Brad Treliving right now

At the rate we’ve handed out W’s to Treliving we might have to get a championship belt made for him.

He had the unenviable position of watching MVP forward Johnny Gaudreau decide he wanted to go back East to be nearer to family and sign long-term with Columbus. That move set in motion Matthew Tkachuk wanting to leave town, which he turned into a blockbuster deal sending Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for Jonathan Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weegar. Swapping out Sean Monahan, who has been a disappointing player the past few seasons, for Kadri can only be seen as an upgrade at that position.

It would've been very easy for Treliving to strip it all down after Gaudreau left and Tkachuk wanted out, but it’s taken Calgary so long to get back to a position where they’re contenders in the Western Conference that giving up on that hope now would’ve been defeating for everyone involved. Where there’s a window of opportunity, closing it yourself means not being a GM for much longer. Taking a shot at winning it all earns a lot of credit.

Loser: Brad Treliving in four years

It’s not all rainbows and puppies for Calgary because there may be stormy times down the road.

The moves they’ve made this summer are vital to helping them get a shot at a Stanley Cup within the next two to three years. Further down the road is when things may get dicey.

In four years, their key players right now will be deeper into their 30s and under contract for big hits against the cap. Kadri ($7 million) will be 35, Huberdeau ($10.5 million) will be 33, Blake Coleman ($4.9 million) will be 34, Jacob Markstrom ($6 million) will be 36 and in the final year of his contract. The next contracts for a handful of players (including Andrew Mangiapane, Tyler Toffoli, Dillon Dube, Juuso Välimäki)–if they retain them–could (would?) come at a higher cost.

In general, GMs must keep their eyes further ahead in time to make sure their team can stay stocked with talent long-term. But the lure of the Cup is strong, and when they feel they’re close enough to taste it, the idea of having a host of players on the back-nine of their career becomes a “we’ll deal with it when we get there” situation. If Treliving is there to handle it, he’ll at least know what the plan is.

Nazem Kadri has moved on from the Colorado Avalanche, as Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Thursday that the skilled forward has signed with the Calgary Flames in free agency.

Kadri's deal is for seven years and is worth $49 million, per Friedman.

This is a great get for the Flames, as Kadri played a significant role in Colorado's 2022 Stanley Cup run despite missing time because of injury, and he had been a key player for the franchise since arriving in 2019.

He notched 28 goals and 59 assists for 87 points in 71 regular-season games to help the Avalanche finish with the best record in the Western Conference and capture first place in the Central Division with a 56-19-7 record, plus he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career.

The 31-year-old had an impressive postseason as Colorado won its first Stanley Cup since 2001. He had seven goals and eight assists in 16 postseason games and tied for the fifth-most points on the roster.

The Avs acquired Kadri, Calle Rosen and a 2020 third-round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2019-20 season in exchange for Tyson Barrie, Alexander Kerfoot and a 2020 sixth-round pick.

In 10 seasons with the Maple Leafs, Kadri notched 161 goals and 196 assists for 357 points in 561 games.

The Ontario native had been a key contributor in each of his three seasons with the Avalanche, though the 2021-22 campaign marked his best season in Colorado. In 178 games with the Avs, Kadri tallied 58 goals and 97 assists for 155 points.

While Kadri represents a significant loss for the reigning Stanley Cup champions, he is perhaps an even bigger addition for the Flames, given the trials and tribulations they have gone through this offseason.

After winning the Western Conference's Pacific Division and reaching the second round of the playoffs last season, the Flames lost a pair of key players.

Star winger Johnny Gaudreau signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency, and the Flames traded top forward Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt and a 2025 first-round pick after they were unable to come to terms on a contract extension.

While Kadri and Huberdeau don't replace everything Gaudreau and Tkachuk brought to the table, they should go a long way toward keeping Calgary in the playoff hunt next season.

The Chicago Blackhawks have not had trade discussions involving veteran winger Patrick Kane despite a story stating otherwise, according to The Athletic's Mark Lazerus.

The report came out after David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period wrote Friday that Chicago had been "engaged in trade discussions with teams" about Kane and that the Dallas Stars were among the teams to have expressed interest recently.

Trade rumors involving both Kane and Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews erupted around the 2022 NHL draft when the franchise signaled it was entering a full-fledged rebuild by trading some of its best young players.

Chicago dealt Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for three draft picks, including the 2022 No. 7 pick that was used to select defenseman Kevin Korchinski.

The Blackhawks also traded Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens for two draft picks, including the 2022 No. 13 pick that was used to select center Frank Nazar. In addition, the team drafted defenseman Sam Rinzel with the 25th pick.

Kane is under contract with the Blackhawks for one more season at $10.5 million. TSN's Darren Dreger reported July 20 that the alternate captain was undecided on whether he wanted to request a trade from the franchise.

The 33-year-old has spent his entire 15-year career with the Blackhawks, helping the franchise win three Stanley Cups from 2010-15 and being named to a season-ending All-Star at right wing four times.

In 1,107 games with the Blackhawks, Kane has tallied 430 goals and 750 assists for 1,180 points. He hasn't skipped a beat, either, notching 92 points (26 goals, 66 assists) in 78 games during the 2021-22 season.

If he does decide he wants to move on, he'll be one of the top wingers available.

As for Toews, he recently said in an interview with Lazerus that sticking around for a rebuild "doesn't sound appealing to me at all." However, the 34-year-old acknowledged that he was unsure about what the future holds:

"I can't speak for 'Kaner,' but I definitely feel that the amount of turnover our team has gone through every single year these last three or four years, that's where it gets really, really draining. And exhausting. You have a guy like who was under Kaner's wing. And I like to think that Kirby and I had that bond in some ways too. And out they go, out the door. Over and over, we've seen that turnover.

"I'm learning to be more patient, but there's no doubt that timeline is pretty daunting, and pretty exhausting to think about. So, I'm not going to sit here and say what I'm going to do or what the future holds for me, because I really don't know."

The center is also under contract for one more season at $10.5 million. If both players depart the franchise this summer or at some point during the 2022-23 season, it will officially be the end of an era in Chicago.

Amid the Chicago Blackhawks' rebuild, nine-time All-Star Patrick Kane's future with the organization is up in the air.

Per TSN's Darren Dreger, Kane's camp is "undecided" about whether or not to ask for a trade request.

This comes after Scott Powers of The Athletic noted on July 11 that last week was "probably" the deadline for Kane to let Blackhawks management know what he wanted to do ahead of the 2022-23 season.

"Even if the Blackhawks would eat a good portion of their cap hits (Kane and Jonathan Toews), there aren’t a lot of teams who are budgeting for those types of additions," Powers wrote.

According to Powers, the trade deadline during the season might be the "the more realistic opportunity" for the Blackhawks to move Kane if they choose to.

"They've basically traded everyone he's ever enjoyed playing with," one person told Powers about Kane's status in Chicago.

In the aftermath of free agency, a Kane deal at this point could be very difficult to pull off. The 33-year-old has a $10.5 million contract in 2022-23, the final season of his eight-year, $84 million contract signed in July 2014.

Per CapFriendly.com, there are only eight teams with enough cap space to fit Kane onto their roster.

Given Kane's age and contract status, he would most likely be looking to find a new home with a team that has Stanley Cup aspirations next season.

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson has been incredibly active since March, trading away Brandon Hagel, Marc-Andre Fleury, Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach. Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik left the team as free agents earlier this month.

Chicago has missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons. It hasn't won a postseason series since defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final.

Despite the ongoing struggles for the Blackhawks and the rebuilding effort by the front office, Kane remains a productive offensive player. He finished seventh in the league with 66 points and tied for 14th with 92 points.

The Minnesota Wild have traded goaltender Cam Talbot to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for goaltender Filip Gustavsson, the teams announced Tuesday.

Minnesota is not retaining any of Talbot's $3.6 million cap hit for the 2022-23 campaign.

"I’m excited about the move," Talbot said, via The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "They already had a good young core and they made some good moves at the draft and have the space to still make a splash the next couple days. Looking forward to joining the group and helping to lead them back to the playoffs."

The news comes after Minnesota re-signed Marc-Andre Fleury to a two-year extension, presumably to be the team's starting goaltender. Talbot's agent, George Bazos, then met with Wild general manager Bill Guerin to discuss his client's future with the franchise.

Following the meeting, Guerin called out Bazos during the 2022 NHL draft, stating that he doesn't have to trade the netminder or accommodate him:

"I don't have s--t to do. Cam Talbot's under contract. George can say whatever the hell he wants. My team’s set right now, and that’s the way it goes," Guerin said. "We can have all the discussions we want. Cam's a member of our team. We really like Cam. All we’re trying to do is win."

Minnesota will likely use the extra cap space to re-sign some of its free agents or attempt to make some new additions in free agency. According to CapFriendly, the team is projected to have $4.3 million in cap space.

The Wild had hoped to retain both Fleury and Talbot for the 2022-23 season in hopes the pair could split games in goal, similar to how they did when the franchise acquired Fleury from the Chicago Blackhawks last season.

However, despite saying he was fine splitting games, the Wild opted to start Fleury in five of the team's six postseason games against the St. Louis Blues, which left Talbot unhappy, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo.

Talbot spent the last two season in Minnesota, appearing in 82 games (81 starts). He posted a 51-20-9 record with a 2.71 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and five shutouts in that span.

In Ottawa, the 35-year-old should serve as the team's starting goaltender, with Anton Forsberg as his backup. The Senators finished the 2021-22 season seventh in the Atlantic Division with a 33-42-7 record and missed the playoffs.

Considering the Sens allowed 3.22 goals-against per game last season, they needed to upgrade in goal. The franchise also needed another goaltender after trading Matt Murray to the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this week.

Murray started 20 games for the Senators last season, posting a 5-12-2 record with a 3.05 GAA, .906 save percentage and one shutout.

As for Fleury, he should have no time handling full-time starting duties for the Wild as he's served in the role for most of his career. He also appeared in 11 regular-season games for Minnesota in 2021-22 and posted a 9-2-0 record with a 2.74 GAA and a .910 save percentage.

The Colorado Avalanche announced they signed Valeri Nichushkin to an eight-year extension that will keep him under contract through 2030.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Nichushkin will earn $49 million, which averages out to $6.1 million annually.

Avs president of hockey operations Joe Sakic commented on the deal:

"Signing Val to a long-term deal was a top priority for us this offseason, as he would have been one of the most sought-after forwards on the open market. Val is a big, strong, fast, tenacious winger who is relentless on the puck. He can play on the first line with our top guys, you can move him up and down the lineup. He plays power play, penalty kill, any situation you need him to. He works hard off the ice as well in the gym and is a humble person and great teammate. He is such an important player in our lineup and a huge reason why we won the Stanley Cup."

Nichushkin is coming off a career year. He scored 25 goals and assisted on 27 others during the regular season.

A slight overpay for Valeri Nichushkin after a career year, but one he can feasibly live up to with more power play opportunity. pic.twitter.com/G8V6SP4S9F

— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) July 11, 2022

He continued to make a positive impact in the postseason, finishing with 15 points (nine goals, six assists) in 20 playoff games as Colorado lifted the Stanley Cup for the third time.

It can't be overstated how good Valeri Nichushkin was for the Avs in the playoffs, particularly the Final. If the Conn Smythe was like the NBA Finals MVP, and just for the last series, Nichushkin would have won it. Huge signing by Sakic and MacFarland. #GoAvsGo

— Will Petersen (@PetersenWill) July 11, 2022

The Tampa Bay Lightning won back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021, reaching a third straight Stanley Cup Final in 2022. The Pittsburgh Penguins successfully defended their championship in 2017 as well.

Recent history favors the Avalanche as they look to add a fourth Stanley Cup triumph in 2022-23. They already had most of their key players under contract for the upcoming year.

Nichushkin was one of the notable exceptions. Nazem Kadri is another, and the fact the Avs tied up a contract for Nichushkin so quickly could increase their chances of retaining Kadri, who finished with the third-most points (87) on the team.

It's also possible Colorado prioritized Nichushkin because it grew worried about its odds of re-signing Kadri and didn't want to wind up losing both players.

ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reported Kadri "will get contract offers above and beyond what Colorado would like to give him." He cited the Boston Bruins and Seattle Kraken as teams that could pursue the 31-year-old forward.

Filip Forsberg and the Nashville Predators reached an agreement on a new eight-year contract, the team announced Saturday.

ESPN's Dawn Davenport first reported the sides were nearing a deal that would pay Forsberg close to $70 million.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1545776788470923264

The news comes after the left wing had been linked in numerous trade rumors leading up to the March 21 deadline. However, Predators general manager David Poile said on March 1 that he wanted to extend the alternate captain's contract before the deadline, so the deal comes as no surprise.

Poile said in an interview with 102.5 The Game in Nashville (h/t NHL.com):

"No, I'm not trying to trade Filip Forsberg, I'm trying to sign Filip Forsberg. It hasn't been done. I don't know when it's going to get done. I don't have the crystal ball to say it will get done. Both sides want it to happen, but it hasn't happened now."

The Washington Capitals selected Forsberg 11th overall in the 2012 draft before trading him to the Predators. The Swede has spent his entire 10-year career in Nashville, tallying 220 goals and 249 assists for 469 points in 566 games.

The 27-year-old appeared in 69 games during the 2021-22 season, tallying 42 goals and 42 assists.

With Forsberg remaining in Nashville, the franchise can focus on locking up several soon-to-be free agents such as Nick Cousins.

The 2022 NHL draft came to a close on Friday night, and each of the league's 32 teams are hoping their new additions can one day help them contend for a Stanley Cup.

While there were some surprises throughout the draft, perhaps nothing was more of a shock than Shane Wright being passed on by the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils and Arizona Coyotes with the top three picks.

Wright, who was widely believed to be the best player in this year's class, was selected fourth overall by the Seattle Kraken. The pick is now being viewed as the steal of this year's draft.

That said, let's give the NHL's 32 teams a grade for the picks they made over Thursday and Friday's action.

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2022 NHL Draft Grades

Anaheim Ducks: B

Arizona Coyotes: A

Boston Bruins: C

Buffalo Sabres: B+

Calgary Flames: C-

Carolina Hurricanes: C+

Chicago Blackhawks: B+

Colorado Avalanche: D+

Columbus Blue Jackets: A-

Dallas Stars: B

Detroit Red Wings: B-

Edmonton Oilers: C

Florida Panthers: C

Los Angeles Kings: B+

Minnesota Wild: B+

Montreal Canadiens: A+

Nashville Predators: B

New Jersey Devils: A-

New York Islanders: C

New York Rangers: B

Ottawa Senators: C+

Philadelphia Flyers: A-

Pittsburgh Penguins: C

San Jose Sharks: B+

St Louis Blues: C+

Seattle Kraken: A+

Tampa Bay Lightning: B-

Toronto Maple Leafs: B

Vancouver Canucks: C+

Vegas Golden Knights: C

Washington Capitals: B-

Winnipeg Jets: B

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Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens took one of the best young players in the draft, selecting Juraj Slafkovsky first overall. However, their decision to pass on Shane Wright was baffling to many.

That said, Slafkovsky should be a productive player for the Habs for years to come.

The 18-year-old helped lead Slovakia to a historic bronze medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, tallying seven goals in seven contests, including two in the bronze-medal game.

He also represented Slovakia at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, finishing with three goals and six assists in five games en route to a silver medal, and played his domestic hockey in the Finnish Liiga for TPS Turku.

In addition to selecting Slafkovsky, the Canadiens also picked Filip Mesar (No. 26), Owen Beck (No. 33) and Lane Hutson (No. 62) in the first two rounds. all of whom should see plenty of time at the NHL level.

So while the Habs passed on Wright, they still get an A+ for this year's draft as they selected multiple players that could become staples in their lineup down the line.

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Seattle Kraken

The Seattle Kraken got the steal of the draft when they selected Shane Wright fourth overall.

The 18-year-old was widely expected to be the top pick in this year's class after an outstanding career with the Ontario Hockey League's Kingston Frontenacs.

While Wright got out to a slow start to the 2021-22 season with the Frontenacs, he still tallied 32 goals and 62 assists for 94 points in 63 regular-season games and added three goals and 11 assists in 11 playoff games.

Wright also represented Canada at the 2021 Under-18 World Championships, helping lead the Canadians to a gold medal. He notched nine goals and five assists in five games and was one of the best players of the tournament.

Considering Wright has been compared to Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, the Kraken may have just drafted their future franchise center.

Seattle also selected Jagger Firkus (No. 35), Jani Nyman (No. 49), Niklas Kokko (No. 58) and David Goyette (No. 61) in the second round. The Kraken have a great 2022 class that is sure to prepare them well for the future. which is why they received an A+.

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Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche made just two picks in this year's draft—one in the sixth round and one in the seventh, selecting a right-handed defenseman in Chris Romaine at No. 193 and a goaltender in Ivan Zhigalov at No. 225.

Colorado made a number of deals that included draft picks to make its 2021-22 squad better and, after winning the Stanley Cup, the front office probably has no regrets about losing some of those picks.

However, it's hard to give the Avalanche a grade higher than a D when they didn't add much to their prospect pool this week.

Duncan Keith, a three-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, is reportedly set to retire after 17 NHL seasons.

TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Friday that Keith has decided to hang up his skates despite having one season left on his 13-year, $72 million contract.

The 38-year-old Canadian defenseman spent his first 16 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks before finishing his career as a member of the Edmonton Oilers.

Keith developed into one of the best two-way blueliners of his generation after the Hawks selected him in the second round of the 2002 NHL draft.

The 6'1'', 192-pound defender made his NHL debut in October 2005 and quickly became a high-impact contributor for Chicago. He finishes his career with 625 points (105 goals and 520 assists) and 653 penalty minutes in 1,192 regular-season games.

He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2010, 2013 and 2015. His gold medals came as part of Team Canada at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.

His list of accolades includes four All-Star Game selections and being voted the Norris Trophy winner as the NHL's best defenseman in 2009-10 and 2013-14. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP during the Hawks' run to the 2015 Cup.

Keith reminisced about his time in Chicago when he returned to the United Center for the first time as an opposing player in March.

"I'm just super proud to say that I was a Hawk for as long as I was," he told reporters. "To be drafted by that team and spend that many years here, definitely proud of that and all the great teammates that pushed me to become a better player. Obviously those three championships stick out for sure."

His No. 2 jersey is a strong bet to eventually join other Blackhawks legends in the United Center rafters.

Keith's decision to retire does lead to a recapture penalty against the salary cap for Chicago—$5.5 million in 2022-23 and $1.9 million in 2023-24, per CapFriendly—but the team is likely heading toward a rebuild, a process that began with the trades of Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach on Thursday. So the added cap hit shouldn't be a major factor.

Meanwhile, the longtime standout defenseman's next stop is likely the Hockey Hall of Fame.