Nazem Kadri wasn’t sure he’d ever get another chance to wear an Colorado Avalanche sweater again.

But in a dramatic trade-deadline buzzer beater, the Avalanche brought Kadri back to Denver for the first time since 2022, with general manager Chris MacFarland finalizing a deal with the Calgary Flames just before the deadline expired.

Colorado acquired Kadri along with a 2027 fourth-round pick, while Calgary received forward Victor Olofsson, prospect Max Curran, a conditional 2028 first-round pick and a conditional 2027 second-round pick in return.

The Hockey News asked Kadri whether there was ever a moment during the day — amid conflicting reports — when he thought a return to the Avalanche might not happen.

"Yeah," Kadri admitted. "(There's) always speculation when it comes to the trade deadline and even though I think the Calgary staff were so great to me and I really respected how they handled their business and kept me informed, but you never, like I mentioned, you just never understand how it's going to go down."

At one point, Kadri thought he was staying in Calgary. The deadline was technically over and he hadn't heard an update.

"It was past the deadline," he noted. "I thought I was maybe staying and there was a few teams in the mix, but I couldn't be happier that Denver pulled the trigger."

Kadri first arrived in Denver during the 2019 offseason, when Colorado acquired him from the Toronto Maple Leafs along with Calle Rosén and a 2020 third-round pick. In return, Toronto received Tyson Barrie, Alexander Kerfoot and a 2020 sixth-round pick.

Kadri quickly made an impact in Colorado, stepping into the role of second-line center and providing the physical edge and secondary scoring the team had been searching for. He recorded 19 goals and 17 assists through his first 51 games before a lower-body injury sidelined him for the remainder of the 2019–20 regular season.

Despite the setback, Colorado pushed deep into the playoffs before ultimately falling to the Dallas Stars in a hard-fought seven-game second round series.

After another second round exit the following season against the Vegas Golden Knights, Kadri delivered the finest campaign of his career in what would become his final season with the Avalanche.

Kadri erupted for 87 points in just 71 regular-season games, establishing himself as one of the league’s most impactful second-line centers before playing a pivotal role in Colorado’s run to the Stanley Cup.

During the second round of the playoffs against the St. Louis Blues, Nazem Kadri faced racist threats and abuse after a collision that injured Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, forcing him out of the series.

Despite the controversy and outside noise, Kadri stayed focused, helping the Colorado Avalanche push deeper into the postseason.

His resilience was tested again in the Western Conference Final when he suffered a broken thumb in Game 3, yet he returned for the Stanley Cup Final and scored an overtime-winning goal in Game 4, putting the Avalanche one win away from the championship.

Colorado ultimately defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to claim the Cup.

Now Kadri is back and ready to finish his career where all of the magic came to life.

“I’m over the moon. I think initially, when something of this magnitude happens, it’s always a little bit sad, because you form such great relationships with the guys in the room,” Kadri said of his 307-game stint with the Flames. “But knowing that I’m coming back to Colorado is just a dream come true with the situation they’ve put themselves in, and just me being able to tag along and add. I cannot wait.”

But first, he may need to purchase another home.

When Avalanche legend Erik Johnson returned to Colorado a year ago, he moved right back into his Denver-area home that he never sold. But for Kadri, his previous home is not available.

“I do not have my place. I wish I did, though. I wish I didn’t sell it,” Kadri said. “But I sold it, made a few bucks, and now I’m just probably gonna have to buy another one.”