Nazem Kadri Left Money on the Table to Sign in Calgary, Says Flames' Center Depth is Among NHL's Best

Nazem Kadri's decision to sign a contract with the Calgary Flames sent shockwaves around the NHL, leaving many in disbelief after it was reported by several key insiders that the Stanley Cup champion would sign with the New York Islanders. Alas, Calgary swooped in late and inked the 7x7 that had been rumored.

While money likely factored into his decision, the opportunity to win another Cup was at the forefront of his mind when choosing a new home. Flames radio host Pat Steinberg spoke with the center, and Kadri believes the Flames center corps could stand toe-to-toe with any group in the NHL.

Elias Lindholm, Nazem Kadri, Mikael Backlund, and Kevin Rooney will start the season as the Flames four centers, and the top three are serious gamers. Rooney is middling, but by fourth line center standards, he does a fine job. He understands his role, and he executes it fairly well.

Kadri's role on the Flames likely rests on the second line between Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman (at least, until Treliving adds a top-six winger), which will be a tough, pestering line to play against. All three of those guys play a hard game but bring enough skill to the table to put points on the board. Coleman scored 20 goals twice, for the record. Don't know how many people know that.

Brad Treliving and his staff deserve a ton of credit for their offseason transactions. They easily could have lost Gaudreau and Tkachuk and mailed it in. Instead, they made a couple of bold moves and built a team that would probably beat last season's group in a seven game series. For a difficult position, Calgary will field a seriously competitive team and will be a favorite for the Stanley Cup again, especially with Darryl Sutter at the helm.

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