The Toronto Maple Leafs have addressed most of their roster needs in the early stages of the 2024 offseason, but more is needed if they’re to take that next step forward as a Stanley Cup contender.
Surprisingly, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has yet to break up the “Core Four” that consists of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Mitch Marner.
New Leafs GM Craig Berube said that he’s “looking forward to” working with Marner, per Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. But if Treliving plays his cards right, he’ll move out one of Marner or Tavares and bring in another forward as a replacement.
The Toronto Leafs need a more reliable two-way center and quality playoff performer to replace Marner or Tavares. If Treliving can somehow make the cap dollars work, his target should be Calgary Flames star center Nazem Kadri.
Kadri has five years remaining on the $49 million contract he signed with Calgary in the 2022 offseason. The Flames began a giant rebuild earlier this year, having said goodbye to the likes of Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Jacob Markstrom, Andrew Mangiapane, Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm in blockbuster trades.
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So the Flames should be open to dealing Kadri, perhaps their best remaining trade chip who turns 34 years of age in October.
Kadri played for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2009-10 to 2018-19 before getting traded to the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019 offseason. Kadri helped the Avs to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022, so his big-game experience and familiarity in Toronto would make him the ideal target for a team crying to reach its first Stanley Cup Final since 1967.
What Toronto Maple Leafs Should Offer For Nazem Kadri
Nazem Kadri carries a hefty salary and a $7 million cap hit through his age-38 season in 2028-29. So the Calgary Flames’ asking price for the two-way center should be fairly reasonable.
Toronto should offer their 2026 first-round pick (their 2025 first-rounder belongs to Chicago, though it’s a top-10 protected), defenseman Timothy Liljegren and a 2025 second-round selection. That’s a fair price for a star player who’s entering his age-34 season.
