According to several sources, the Colorado Avalanche have brought back center Nazem Kadri in a buzzer-beating blockbuster right before the NHL Trade Deadline.

The Avs have acquired Kadri and a 4th-Round Draft Pick from the Calgary Flames in exchange for LW Victor Olofsson, prospect Max Curran, a 1st-Round Pick in 2028 and a 2nd-Round Pickin 2027. Calgary is also retaining 20% of Kadri’s remaining salary.

Kadri has three years left on his contract after this season, and that salary retention brings his cap hit with the Avs down from $7 million to $5.6 million.

I think it is a slam dunk of a move for GM Chris MacFarland. To bring back Kadri to be the 3rd line center on this team only makes the Avs bigger favorites to win the Stanley Cup than they already were.

It will be interesting to see what the lines end up being once everyone is in the lineup. It’s not likely at all that Kadri gets to Dallas for tonight’s game, due to that pesky immigration paperwork. But, you can bet that everything will be done to get Kadri into the lineup for Sunday’s tilt at home against the Minnesota Wild.

The real shockers here with this trade being finalized are that the Flames ended up retaining salary after saying they wouldn’t, and that the Avs didn’t have to trade Ross Colton or Jack Drury in the deal.

This gives Jared Bednar so many options when it comes to the lineup down the stretch and into the playoffs, with MacKinnon, Nelson, Kadri, Roy, Colton, Drury all capable of playing the center position. For the time being, I could definitely see Kadri or Nelson sliding into a wing spot on that 2nd line while Artturi Lehkonen is out.

However, when Lehky comes back and everyone else is at full strength, it’s hard not seeing Bednar wanting to go 4 deep at center with MacKinnon-Nelson-Kadri-Roy, and then fill in the bottom-six wings with the likes of Colton, O’Connor, Kelly, Drury, Brindley.

More to come on Kadri’s return to the Avs, and on the big tilt in Dallas tonight.