Blackhawks: Signing Nazem Kadri

Looking more at a free agent target that is more of a pipe dream than a reality, but in the 6th instalment of this series we will look at Nazem Kadri. The 31 year old will likely hit free agency following the final year of his contract with the Colorado Avalanche. Unfortunately for them they probably won’t have the money to bring him back with the star power they already have, so entering free agency with the goal of being paid what he has earned is the smartest play for Kadri. 

Kadri is coming off of an 87 point season. A career year that left many people around the league speechless as this offensive side seemingly came out of nowhere. He’d been known as a gritty player that could put up around 45-50 points a season but was most utilized as someone that gets under the opponents skin. I think it’s safe to say we won’t see Kadri come close to that 87 point mark again, and he’ll slowly begin to decline now that he gets into the last half of his career. 

Should the Blackhawks sign him?

For the first time, I’m going to say no. He’s going to get overpaid because of his career high total in points, and the Blackhawks would have to pay him no less than $5-6M a season on a longer deal, probably around 4-5 years. If Kadri falls back to the player he was in Toronto, then this contract will look awful in as little as 2 years. The Blackhawks need to stay away from him

Now if it’s a short term deal at a good price, maybe the team takes a look at bringing him in. But, I can’t see that happening. After being one of the most productive players on arguably the most dominant team during the regular season there’s going to be a bidding war come the start of free agency, and there’s plenty more players that the Hawks could snag that would be less risky gambles.