Nazem Kadri’s first season in the Calgary Flames jersey fell far short of his expectations.
Still, the 32-year-old forward believes the Alberta club will bounce back in the 2023-24 season.
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“I think a lot of players on the team are ready to fulfill their potential,” said Kadri, whose comments were reported by the National League website. For some reason we were held back last season. I want to start fresh and start the year strong.”
In the summer of 2022, the London native signed a seven-year, $7 million-a-year deal with the Flames. He then experienced a sharp drop in production compared to his last campaign with the Colorado Avalanche. After amassing 87 points, he limited himself to 56 points in 82 games in Calgary.
Kadri said he is optimistic about the winds of change blowing through the organization. Head coach Darryl Sutter and general manager Brad Treliving were fired during the final season break. They were replaced respectively by Ryan Huska and Craig Conroy, who already worked in the organization.
“As soon as there are new faces, there is new energy and new enthusiasm,” said Kadri. Of course we can play creatively with the players we have. We have a lot of talent.”
“It’s good to have two people in new roles who know the team well. If the management of a team is able to deal with the different personalities of the players and cares about them, the players will want to play for them.
“In the end: I just want to win. “That’s all that matters,” added the man, who won the 2022 Stanley Cup with the “Avs.”