Nazem Kadri accuses Kyle Dubas of disrespecting him and his pregnant wife during their time in Toronto

Nazem Kadri says Kyle Dubas was extremely disrespectful towards him and his family while both were members of the Toronto Maple Leafs a few years back.

Nazem Kadri has been a bright spot during what has otherwise been two disappointing seasons for the Calgary Flames. He's played individually well enough to become the centerpiece of trade rumors for the second year in a row. Of course, nothing new for Kadri, who had to deal with the very same type of uncertainty earlier in his career, notably during his tumultuous exit from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The shocking and depressing twist of his exit from Toronto was remembered for years to come in the relationship between him and the team.

Kadri finally opened up recently about how it all went down when he left the Maple Leafs. He stated that the then-GM Kyle Dubas had repeatedly told him he would not be trading him, and then Kadri found himself in a pending deal with the Calgary Flames. To further complicate things, Calgary was on his no-trade list, but the mere speculation eroded what should have been a trusting relationship between Kadri and the Maple Leafs front office. The timing was especially terrible for Kadri: his partner was nine months pregnant, and just days after his trade to the Colorado Avalanche, their child was born, which he finds was a disrespectful move by Dubas.

Once he got settled in Colorado, the trajectory of Kadri's career completely flipped. He went from a spare part in Toronto to an essential piece of the Avalanche, landing himself a Stanley Cup victory in 2022, something he might have never seen had he stayed in Toronto. The time in Colorado brought not only personal success but also reshaped his identity as a player. This successful run was then followed by Kadri signing a free-agent deal with the Calgary Flames, a team that was once on his no-trade list, and he has continued to produce good numbers to further make his time in Toronto a thing of the past.

Kadri's relationship with the Maple Leafs front office is one that is still a touchy subject based on how things went down when he left. It is very questionable that Kyle Dubas was not able to be straightforward with Kadri at that critical point in his personal life, as his partner was close to delivering their child. Much of that strain could have been eased with a more direct approach from Dubas, but the ambiguity that has remained only fostered a lingering sense of betrayal.

Nowadays, Nazem Kadri has absolutely flourished, taking in all the success he has received since leaving Toronto. Having a Stanley Cup and an elite mainstay for the Flames, he has placed himself among the upper echelons of forwards in the NHL, his post-Maple Leaf tale one of resiliency and maturation.

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