Kadri, who played a key role in the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup win in 2022, received a raucous ovation Sunday in his re-debut after being acquired from the Calgary Flames at the NHL trade deadline. He jumped right back into the fray, playing 21:47 (including 6:43 on the top power-play unit) and dishing an assist in Colorado’s 3-2 shootout win against the Minnesota Wild.
“It’s almost like a pinch-me type moment,” Kadri told reporters after the game when asked about the fans’ response. “Like, ‘Wow, this is crazy. Hey guys, can you settle down? I’ve got to focus here.’”
Kadri was active offensively Sunday — he generated five scoring chances (third on the Avalanche) and four slot shots on net (third), while also completing three of his four slot-pass attempts (tied for third).
In the second period, Kadri pounced on a turnover by Minnesota’s Quinn Hughes and fed Nathan MacKinnon for a wide-open shot that put Colorado up 1-0.
Most notably, Kadri did not line up at centre for the Avalanche. Coach Jared Bednar put him on the wing alongside MacKinnon and Martin Necas, which worked wonderfully. Colorado generated 63.6 per cent of the expected goals at five-on-five in 11:08 of ice time.
“I haven’t played wing in years, actually,” Kadri told reporters. “When I found out about that, mentally I knew I had to be a little bit sharp. I don’t mind playing it. As a centreman, I think hopping over to the wing is a lot easier than a winger hopping over to centre. Playing with those two guys, they make it easy on me.”
Bednar said that the loss of captain Gabriel Landeskog, who is week to week with a lower-body injury, was the reason behind Kadri’s move to the wing.
“I want him to play with our top-end guys,” Bednar told reporters, “and in order to do that for me, he’s got to play on the wing right now.”
If Kadri sticks with MacKinnon and Necas, they could quickly become one of the most dangerous lines in the league. All three players rank inside the top 10 at the forward position in offensive-zone carry-ins. Kadri’s 59 rush scoring chances in all situations rank 15th among forwards, behind MacKinnon’s 77 (second) and ahead of Necas’s 49 (T-34th).
Kadri’s arrival could also boost the Avalanche’s surprisingly inefficient power play, which ranks 31st at 15.8 per cent — down from 24.8 per cent last season (eighth). Colorado is 28th with 0.2 expected goals generated per two minutes on the power play. On Sunday, Kadri and the rest of the Avalanche’s top unit — MacKinnon, Necas, Brock Nelson and Cale Makar — averaged 0.38 expected goals per two minutes.
At one point this season, the Avalanche were challenging the 2022-23 Boston Bruins for the best record in league history, but they are 12-8-2 since starting 31-2-7. Colorado, however, still has a seven-point lead over the Dallas Stars in the Central Division, so there is room for experimentation.
Bednar could roll out MacKinnon, Nelson, Kadri and newly acquired Nicolas Roy at centre, which would be downright frightening for the Avalanche’s playoff opponents. (Roy scored in his Avalanche debut following his trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs.)
“If we want to go with (MacKinnon, Nelson and Kadri) down the middle, they can play with good wingers (who) can help create offence and score and still check other teams’ top lines,” Bednar told reporters. “I think we’re going to have some really good options as we get into it.”
The Avalanche players know that their already lofty expectations have risen now that Kadri is back in the fold.
“Obviously, we’re pumped to have (Kadri) back,” MacKinnon told reporters. “It’s exciting for the fans, for this organization, all of us in this room. I think we needed a little bit more game-breaking, a little scoring punch we might have missed last year in the playoffs. Obviously, it’s a lot of pressure on us. We’ve got to perform. Once again, our management’s going all in.
“We definitely appreciate (management) putting us in a good spot.”
