Rumor: Would Nazem Kadri waive his no-trade clause for deal to Leafs?

It's shaping up to be a rough season for the Calgary Flames, following last season's exodus of players. The Flames finished 24th last season and have since traded away Jacob Markstrom, Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Andrew Mangiapane, Nikita Zadorov, Tyler Tofffoli and Chris Tanev. Yeesh...

The Flames certainly look like a team headed for a long rebuild, which leads to rumor reports for the team's veteran players. What does the team do with Jonathan Huberdeau, Weegar MacKenzie and Nazem Kadri?

NHL insider David Pagnotta reports that Kadri in particular would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a deal, but that he'll only accept a trade to a Stanley Cup contender.

“They’re (Calgary) willing to listen and it’s situational," Pagnotta reported earlier this month. "My understanding with respect to Kadri is that he’s willing to waive the no-move clause for the right situation”.

Kadri, obviously, would be a fantastic addition to a team looking to add a bit more grit to its scoring lines... maybe a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Of course, Kadri began his NHL career with the Leafs after the team selected him 7th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He developed into a reliable top 9 winger with the team from 2010 until 2019 when he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in a blockbuster deal. With the Avs he redefined his game and took his play to another level. After a Stanley Cup championship and a stellar 87 point season with the Avs in 2022, he signed a long-term (7 year) deal with the Flames, but he has yet to replicate his success in Cowtown. Now, with the Flames going into a full-on rebuild, Leafs fans are calling for GM Brad Treliving to work his magic on Kadri once again.

The question is... would Kadri waive his no-trade clause to go back to Toronto? Stay tuned.

Read below for our earlier report on the Leafs and the latest trade rumor concerning Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine.

In an effort to free up two players seeking relocation this summer, the staff at Maple Leafs Daily are reporting on a wild trade rumor that would see the Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Finnish sniper Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a package deal.

Of course, we know that Laine has requested a trade from CBJ GM Don Waddell, but as fate would have it Leafs forward Nick Robertson has also requested a trade out of Toronto. Mike Armenti of Maple Leafs Daily reports that a trade centered around Laine and Robertson could work out well for both sides. The Leafs, of course, though would need to sweeten the deal in order to land Laine, a former 2nd overall pick with superstar potential.

In the proposed deal the Leafs would send Robertson, Calle Jarnkrok, David Kampf and their 2026 1st round pick in exchange for Laine and a 2026 2nd round pick. Armenti also reports that the Blue Jackets would have to retain $4.4 million (50%) of Laine's contract to make the deal happen.

Check it out:

Hmmmm...

Let's get real here for a moment...

Robertson is a fine young player, no doubt. Could he develop into a star player? Maybe... then again, maybe not. He has shown flashes of skill, but he certainly hasn't established himself as a regular NHLer year and he's already 22 years old. Jarnkrok and Kampf are depth pieces, even on a team like Columbus. The 1st round pick isn't until 2026.

In exchange for a B-level prospect, two depth forwards and a 1st round pick in two years the Leafs are going to get a potential 40+ goal scorer and a 2nd round pick?

I mean... c'mon.

The picks in this deal are silly to me, Columbus would jump up maybe, maaaaaybe 15 spots with this swap? And the prize of the deal is Robertson? A guy who can't even stay in the lineup? 

C'mon...

Maybe I'm out to lunch, maybe I'm overvaluing Laine in this deal but I can't ever see a veteran GM like Waddell agreeing to such a lopsided trade.

The fact of the matter is that if you want to acquire something of value, you need to trade something of equal or greater value. This isn't EA Sports NHL 24... back to the drawing board Maple Leafs Daily.