As Flames' Kadri shoulders heavy load, questions of his future begin to arise

SUNRISE, Fla. — Nazem Kadri didn’t sign up for this.

He wasn’t added to Calgary’s veteran-laden core two summers ago only to see many of the pillars of the franchise traded away by this year’s deadline.

The question is, what does he do about it?

Does he ask for a trade this summer so he can chase another Stanley Cup?

Or does he embrace his role as a mentor and leader for a young, radically retooled team?

We thought a one-on-one chat following the trade deadline was the perfect time to ask.

“I just worry about the next game, to be honest with you,” deftly side-stepped the 15-year pro following Saturday’s 5-1 loss to the Panthers.

“It’s a kind of short-term mentality. When you have a lot of distractions it affects your performance out there, so that’s the last thing I want to do. I want to be here in the present for my team and perform as good as I can.”

You didn’t think he’d declare his intentions to a nosy scribe, did you?

That’s best saved for a year-end sit-down with GM Craig Conroy that the two will definitely have.

“Of course, absolutely,” said Kadri, who still has five years left on his seven-year, $49 million contract.  “I think it’s important as a franchise, and an organization, that everybody is on the same page. 

“That’s what good teams do, and that’s how they become successful.

“That’s certainly a conversation to have down the road.”

Leading the team with 55 points in 63 games, Kadri’s proven to be a steadying force on a line with newbies Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil since November.

At the moment he seems keen to continue showing them how to be successful on the ice, while being a pro off it.

“It goes both ways, they’re helping me and I’m helping them,” smiled Kadri, who won a Stanley Cup two years ago with Colorado.

“That’s what good teams and good linemates do.

“It’s been a challenge at times, playing with rookies all the time, but at least they’re eager to learn, they want to learn, and that’s what I appreciate.” 

It might be that way for some time on a retooling team that has traded away its leading scorer, its top centre, its best defensive pairing and a third-pairing blue liner all since June.

And since Elias Lindholm’s trade last month, it sure seems an awful lot like Kadri has taken it upon himself to prove that after years of being declared one of the game’s best second-line centres, he can be a no. 1.

“For sure,” he agreed before shrugging off the notion he’s hellbent on dispelling any misconceptions.

“I think at this point there’s not much else for me to prove. 

“People know what I can do in this league, I’ve been doing it for a long time. 

“I’ve been very consistent at it, both in the regular season and the playoffs.

“Any role I’m given I try to run with.

“I’ve always faced some doubt throughout my whole career, and that’s never really affected me, or bothered me.

“So I just kind of approach it the same. I don’t think it really matters for me. 

“I’m going to go out there and show what I can do regardless.”

With Sunday’s loss to a surging Panthers club that went the opposite way the Flames did at the deadline, Kadri’s club failed to close the six-point gap between them and the final wild card spot held by Vegas.

Including Sunday’s game in Carolina, they have 19 games left to finish with the same sort of success rate that has seen them win 10 of their last 15.

Otherwise, it’ll be a second-straight season of playoff-less hockey. 

This is not what he envisioned when he signed with the division-leading Flames of two years ago.

“That’s hockey, that’s sports,” he said. 

“Things kind of change, and they change fast, so how we rebound is the next question.

“And I think we’ve shown a lot of heart and character all year really and that’s certainly a positive.”

He’s done some pretty heavy lifting to keep this crew’s faint playoff hopes alive.

Perhaps we’ll find out in the summer if it’s a load he’s keen to continue shouldering.