NHL: Huge trade hit! Nazem Kadri has been traded to the championship favorite's ranks.

At the last moment of the NHL trade deadline, a real blockbuster was seen as the Calgary Flames traded their star center Nazem Kadri back to the Colorado Avalanche.

The Canadian moved to the Flames from the Avalanche as a fresh Stanley Cup champion in the summer of 2022. The Avalanche also receives a 4th round draft pick for the summer of 2027 in the trade.

Traveling in the other direction are a conditional 1st round draft pick (2028), a conditional 2nd round draft pick (2027), forward Victor Olofsson, and forward prospect Max Curran. The Flames will also take on 20 percent of Kadri’s seven million dollar annual salary from the contract, which runs through the summer of 2029.

The trade immediately elevates Colorado to many as the biggest championship favorite in the NHL. The team’s center position is now exceptionally strong.

Leading Colorado’s center ice is superstar Nathan MacKinnon, accompanied by Kadri, Brock Nelson, and another recent acquisition Nicolas Roy. This notable quartet makes the Avalanche’s center ice undoubtedly the toughest in the NHL.

Kadri has played 61 games this season with stats of 12+29=41.