Kadri is out of the lineup with a broken finger but made the trip to Calgary and had only nice things to say about his old team when speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
“It’s always nice to be back at the ‘dome and be in the city of Calgary,” Kadri said. “(It’s) obviously a place I’m very fond of.”
Kadri initially landed with the Flames on a seven-year, $49-million contract in the 2022 off-season. And while the team slowly sold off pieces over the course of his career in Alberta, Kadri remained its most productive player with 100 goals and 139 assists in 307 games.
“Many positive things,” he said when asked to reflect on his time in Calgary. “A lot of great memories, great people I got the chance to work with. Played in front of a great fanbase that treated me so well and a franchise that treated me very well, also.
“It’s bittersweet because (I’m) obviously very excited for the opportunity I have now, but leaving a place like this sucks a little.”
Since landing with the Avalanche, Kadri has four goals and five assists in 16 games, helping Colorado clinch the Presidents’ Trophy down the stretch.
With their stop atop the Western Conference and Central Division locked down, Kadri and the Avalanche are awaiting their first-round opponent to officially be set.
It will mark the first time that Kadri plays in the post-season since helping Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 2021-22.
“We knew that if an opportunity like this (could come) to fruition, that it was something we were definitely going to consider,” Kadri said of the talks that led to the trade.
“Obviously, everybody understands the circumstances and the situation,” he later added. “At the end of the day, I would’ve never wanted to leave this place. So, that’s how much I enjoyed it. But where things are in the standings — as a veteran player… some of my best memories are in the playoffs. I wanted to revisit that.”