Kadri was drafted by the Leafs and spent parts of 10 seasons with the organization before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 2019.

Over his 10 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, it was never a secret that London, Ontario, native Nazem Kadri loved donning the blue and white. Being drafted by the club seventh overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, it was a dream come true. However, Kadri’s journey with the team wasn’t always smooth sailing – leading to a trade with the Colorado Avalanche in July of 2019 that saw the Leafs acquire Tyson Barrie and Alex Kerfoot.

Despite this, Kadri would get the last laugh, capturing the Stanley Cup with Colorado in the 2021-22 season, then signing a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Calgary Flames. Now, he’s sharing his journey in his newly released memoir, ‘Dreamer: My Life on the Edge.’ Last Friday, the 34-year-old joined The Leaf Report podcast with James Mirtle and Jonas Siegel to promote his book and reflect on his career.

When asked about the possibility of one day returning to Toronto in some capacity, perhaps to handle some unfinished business, Kadri left the door open.

“I mean, who knows? I would definitely not put that out of the equation for sure,” he explained. “I mean, everybody knows how I feel about the city and the team and got lots of friends there but certainly something you wouldn’t close the door on.”

While Kadri’s time in Toronto was marked by ups and downs, his passion for the Maple Leafs never wavered. However, his aggressive playstyle sometimes landed him in hot water. At the time, Kadri had five suspensions from 2013-2019, including a team-imposed suspension in 2015. Most notably, he was suspended in back-to-back postseasons against the Boston Bruins in 2018 and 2019, with this sequence of events ultimately leading to his trade out of Toronto.

This past summer, the Flames were receiving inquiries on Kadri amid a “roster reset,” with his playstyle seamlessly being a potential fit in Toronto’s 2024 roster. Considering his contract limitations, a no-movement clause, and his desire to remain in Calgary, there was no transaction amongst any team in the NHL.

Regardless, Kadri was largely a fan favorite during his time in Toronto. While a reunion isn't out of the question, given his Ontario roots and close ties to the city, for now, it remains nothing more than a possibility.

In his time with the Leafs, he played in 561 regular season games and scored 161 goals while adding 196 assists. In the postseason, he appeared in 19 games, scoring three goals paired with seven assists.