from Kevin Kurz of The Athletic,

There was plenty of smoke, but no fire. Unless, that is, you consider that Nazem Kadri will be wearing an oversized flaming ‘C’ on his sweater next season rather than an Islanders crest.

Amid rampant speculation — and speculation may be putting it politely, in some cases — Kadri will not be joining the Islanders for the upcoming season, reportedly agreeing to a seven-year deal with Calgary. The Islanders’ NHL roster is still exactly the same as it was when the disappointing 2021-22 season came to an end, other than defenseman Alexander Romanov’s arrival from Montreal in a draft day trade last month.

There were rumblings that the Islanders were interested in Kadri, and even reports from credible places that he was offered a contract. The potential move did make sense. General manager Lou Lamoriello had been hinting since the quiet 2022 NHL trade deadline last March that the forward group needed some help, and Kadri, a player he already had a relationship with dating to their time together in Toronto, was coming off of a career-high 87 point season with the Stanley Cup-winning Avalanche.

continued (paid)