It appears only a matter of time until the Calgary Flames trade Nazem Kadri; there is growing trade interest in Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson, and Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos reminds everyone why he's not sweating the upcoming trade deadline.
The rumor mill was somewhat quiet during the Olympic break in terms of speculation about big-name players.
With the regular-season resuming on Wednesday and the March 6 NHL trade deadline on the horizon, some notable talent has reappeared in media trade chatter.
Sportsnet's Eric Francis believes it's only a matter of time until the Calgary Flames trade Nazem Kadri. The 35-year-old center doesn't have a foot out the door, but he's been talking about his future with GM Craig Conroy.
Kadri is signed through 2028-29 with a $7 million average annual value and a 13-team no-trade list. Francis claimed there are plenty of contenders that would love to have him, but the Flames would have to retain part of his cap hit.
TSN's Darren Dreger reports the Flames have received serious offers for Kadri. He claims the veteran center wants to be traded, but believes Conroy will hang onto him until he gets a better assessment of the trade market.
One of those contenders could be the Colorado Avalanche. They shipped Samuel Girard to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday for Brett Kulak, expanding their trade-deadline cap space to $10.8 million. They could attempt to bring Kadri back for another shot at the Stanley Cup.
Meanwhile, in Vancouver, Canucks center Elias Pettersson's future remains the subject of speculation.
Ben Kuzma of The Province recently wondered if the Los Angeles Kings might attempt to acquire Pettersson, pointing out that their recent acquisition of Artemi Panarin suggests they're in "win-now" mode.
On Monday, Kuzma reported that Pettersson was still drawing interest in the trade market. He indicated that a source told him the Detroit Red Wings might be worth watching.
The Red Wings need an established second-line center. Kuzma observed that they have the cap space to take on Pettersson's $11.6-million annual cap hit. They also have plenty of draft picks, prospects and young players to draw on for trade bait.
Kuzma wondered if the Red Wings would part with young center Marco Kasper, prospect Nate Danielson, their 2026 first-round pick, and a conditional 2027 first-rounder. Given Pettersson's offensive decline, they're unlikely to give up that much to get him.
TSN's Darren Dreger reports the Canucks haven't received a serious offer yet for Pettersson worth considering. He also stated that Pettersson's representatives are aware of the trade discussions. However, they won't bring their client into it until things reach a point where there is a potential deal.
Turning to the Nashville Predators, Steven Stamkos has frequently surfaced in trade rumors this season, especially when the Predators were struggling near the bottom of the standings.
The Predators are now within striking distance of a wild-card berth in the Western Conference, partly due to Stamkos' improved production since December. The Athletic's Joe Smith reports the 36-year-old right winger acknowledged the trade rumors. However, he's not worried because he has a full no-movement clause for the next two years.
In other words, Stamkos isn't going anywhere.
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