Kadri played left wing while the Avalanche were working through some recent injuries. His return ultimately made sense because he’s the center they need now, much like he was the center they needed when they acquired him from the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1, 2019. He had his best season in 2021-22, a NHL career-high 87 points (28 goals, 59 assists) in 71 regular-season games and 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 16 playoff games en route to the Cup.
The Avalanche have missed Kadri since he signed a seven-year, $49 million contract (average annual value of $7 million) with the Flames on Aug. 18, 2022. In his absence, Colorado has won one playoff series, defeating the Winnipeg Jets in five games of the 2024 Western Conference First Round.
“It’s nice to have him back in the room,” said Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson, Kadri’s teammate on the Cup-winning team. “The guys who knew him in 2022 knew what kind of player we were going to get. That brings all the excitement. You know all the intangibles he has, the skill set he has and the type of player he is. He’s a guy who can help you win, so we’re excited.”
Not surprisingly, Kadri’s readjustment to Colorado has been fine.
“I got off to a pretty good start,” he said. “Of course, looking to get a little more comfortable. Just certain things, little parts about your routine change because you’re obviously coming to a new team. So, yeah, it’s been a bit of an adjustment, but I think I’m handling it pretty well.”