A hectic start to his tenure with the Calgary Flames is nothing Nazem Kadri can't handle.
After a roller-coaster season in which they failed to make the playoffs, the Flames have replaced general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Darryl Sutter, while Tyler Toffoli - who's already been traded - and Noah Hanifin declared they weren't interested in signing extensions. All that isn't enough to throw Kadri off considering he started his NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"I played in Toronto for 10 years. I can shrug things off pretty easily," Kadri told Sportsnet 960. "It's a non-issue. I like looking back on seasons and reflecting on seasons, pointing out certain things that I feel I've got to improve on and it keeps me motivated throughout the summer. In terms of hanging onto that, I don't think that's really a problem for any of us. I think we're just going to approach it with a clean slate next year."
Kadri joined Calgary on a seven-year, $49-million contract last August after the club traded Matthew Tkachuk and lost Johnny Gaudreau in free agency. Kadri took a step back offensively, mustering 24 goals and 32 assists in 82 games for the Flames after registering a career-high 87 points with the Colorado Avalanche the year prior.
Calgary's 19th-ranked offense often sputtered under Sutter last season, and Kadri is hopeful new bench boss Ryan Huska can reignite the Flames' attack.
"I've got faith in Husk," Kadri said. "I've talked to him several times one-on-one since the news broke. I really like where his head's at. I think he's a smart guy. He's got some coaching experience ... (is) familiar with the franchise and the players surrounding the organization, so that's a huge help to find somebody in house like that who already knows what's going on. ...
"At the end of the day, defense is going to win you a championship, but it's a modern NHL offensive game that everyone has to adapt to, and I think he's going to look to be creative."
The Flames missed out on the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference by two points this past season.
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