Report: Kadri to the Isles may not be a sure thing
We are almost one month into free agency and we are still waiting for one of the most prominent names to sign. Nazem Kadri was expected to have found a new team by now, along with a massive contract, however, he still remains unsigned.
It has been reported the last couple of weeks that he is waiting for the appropriate team or teams to clear cap space and we finally understand why. According to Rangers reporter Larry Brooks, Kadri's asking price has not dropped. Initially, it was believed he would be looking for a max-term deal that would pay him between $8M and $9M, and according to Brooks, Kadri's ask has not wavered. That's an awful lot of cap room to clear for any team looking to sign the soon-to-be 32-year-old.
The Islanders have been the team most linked to Kadri over the past week or two, with some pundits believing that a deal with the Isles is already done in principle. The Islanders have $11M in cap space currently, but they still have to sign two key RFAs in Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov, which will likely eat up almost half of their current $11M in cap space. That means they have to move a piece or two before putting pen to paper with Kadri, and the most likely names are Josh Bailey and Jean Gabriel Pageau. Both have cap hits of $5M - Bailey for the next 2 years and Pageau for the next 4. Anthony Beauvillier is another potential trade piece.
If Kadri doesn't lower his asking price, he may not be signed until training camp or possibly the start of the season. For all of his talk about wanting to continue to play for a contender, he sure looks like a guy only chasing the money and doesn't care about another cup.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 8 | 394 ANSWERS Report: Kadri to the Isles may not be a sure thing What will Kadri's AAV be when he finally signs his new deal? | ||
| $7M-$7.9M | 150 | 38.1 % |
| $8M-8.9M | 97 | 24.6 % |
| $9M+ | 37 | 9.4 % |
| Less than anyone expects | 110 | 27.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
