Going into the season, the Montreal Canadiens' center line was questionable for a number of reasons.
There were questions about whether he would be talented enough, especially as a second center, to accompany Ivan Demidov in his first NHL season.
Well, with the recent mid- to long-term injuries to Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, the Habs' center line has become extremely thin and even more questionable.
After Nick, Suzuki, Oliver Kapanen, Jake Evans and Joe Veleno round out the lineup.
He is VERY thin and not ideal for a team with playoff aspirations, which makes the search for a center even more important and pressing.
In recent weeks, Nazem Kadri has been the name most discussed in the search for a center in Montreal.
The Habs aren't alone in their search, however, as the Florida Panthers are said to be interested at the same level as the Habs.
David Pagnotta: About Nazem Kadri: I'm looking at a couple of teams… we already talked about Montreal, another team I started hearing about recently… Florida – The Sheet (11/29)
– NHL Rumors Report (@NHLRumourReport) November 30, 2025
Indeed, that's what David Pagnotta reported about Jeff Marek Sheet podcast yesterday.
Pagnotta explains that he's obviously heard a lot about the Canadiens' ties to Kadri this season, but he recently started hearing about another team on the matter: the Florida Panthers.
It makes sense to see the Panthers in the picture considering their best center Aleksander Barkov is out with a very long-term injury and it has been a huge detriment to the team's success this season.
The Panthers are struggling to find their groove and currently sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference with 25 points (12-11-1).
That makes an addition like Kadri very interesting for the Panthers.
The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions are clearly on the Montreal Canadiens' radar, so it will be interesting to see how things play out.
Even though the Calgary Flames are coming off a disappointing season, ranking 31st in the NHL, owner Murray Edwards recently said he wants to retain his current core, especially Nazem Kadri.
This is surprising given the need to rebuild the Flames, but if the owner wants to keep his veterans, they won't be traded, at least for now.
So it's worth keeping an eye on, even if there's nothing in sight at the moment.
After a while
– A file to monitor.
David Pagnotta: About Nazem Kadri: I'm looking at a couple of teams… we already talked about Montreal, another team I started hearing about recently… Florida – The Sheet (11/29)
– NHL Rumors Report (@NHLRumourReport) November 30, 2025
– For those interested.
COMPETITION | Take our December quiz for a chance to win an 8×10 piece of artwork autographed by the artist. @CanadiensMTL forward @zack_bolduc. Good luck!
-” Participate: https://t.co/ESnBdZIgLP pic.twitter.com/A1C4FQRYSq
– Hockey Le Magazine (@HockeyMagazine) November 30, 2025
– Why not? He would be a great physical addition to the team.
Should Tom Wilson be included in Team Canada for the 2026 Olympics?
The power forward has 26 points in 25 games and is on a four-game point streak with six points. pic.twitter.com/NXllPqPc93
– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 30, 2025
– Excellent composition.
Hagel, like Robertson, is on fire. The ageless Marchand and the great Jarvis from 15 too
– Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) November 30, 2025
– Read more.
“It was the perfect place to start playing.”
https://t.co/rXuYezwZ4u
– TVA Sports (@TVASports) November 30, 2025
