The Colorado Avalanche continue to monitor Nazem Kadri in free agency. What’s the best course of action for the team regarding the center?
The Colorado Avalanche have done plenty to retain some key pieces in free agency, as well as trading for goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. They’re in line for another Stanley Cup run in 2022-23. Will Nazem Kadri be a part of that going forward?
Kadri remains a free agent as of this writing and there’s still a chance that the Avalanche are able to re-sign him. They currently have just under $4 million in cap space according to CapFriendly.com, so they likely will have to move a player in order to keep Kadri.
Kadri was a part of 87 of the team’s points last season, with 28 goals and 59 assists. Those are very key numbers and the reason why Kadri is a highly-coveted free agent this time around. Despite him being on the other side of 30-years old, he’s still going to be a difference maker for whichever team he ends up with.
Colorado Avalanche would have to move a player to re-sign Nazem Kadri…
Coming off of a Stanley Cup Championship, the Avalanche have lost several key players in free agency: Andre Burakovsky headed to the Seattle Kraken, Nico Sturm to the San Jose Sharks—just to name a few.
Kadri is the biggest name the team could lose, but they do have a chance at retaining him.
There are only a few names that have really come up as players the team could trade to make room for Kadri and his contract (whatever the terms may be): Defenceman Samuel Girard and center J.T. Compher.
Compher has a $3.5 million cap hit for the 2022-23 season, while Girard’s cap hit is $5 million in each of the next five years. His contract among defensemen ranks 47th in all of the NHL.
Girard broke his sternum during the playoff run. The good thing with Girard is that he is only 24-years old and I would assume that eventually he would return to form at some point. The Avalanche don’t have a problem with signing older players. The question is more along the lines of The value in the player compared to the contract that is given out.
The Avalanche still have to sign Nathan MacKinnon to an extension, but that’s always going to be in the front of the team’s mind when talking contract with other players.
Is the team willing to move on from Kadri to keep a guy like Compher, or vice versa? We will soon find out.