Nazem Kadri returns to Avalanche and it already feels like 2022 again as team chases another title

DENVER (AP) — Nazem Kadri has one tiny regret since rejoining the Colorado Avalanche.

“Wish I didn't sell (my house)," the newly acquired forward cracked. “Made a few bucks, but now I'm just going to have to buy another one.”

This homecoming for Kadri feels almost like nothing really changed even if it's been nearly four years since he was here and helping the Avalanche hoist the Stanley Cup in 2022. His drive to the arena seems identical. His emotions about his teammates are just as strong, too. He knew that version of the Avalanche, led by the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and captain Gabriel Landeskog, had championship fabric. He believes this team does, too, which is guided by the same cast and has the best record in the NHL.

Kadri's been closely following the squad from 1,500 miles away. Always has, since he left for Calgary in August 2022 via free agency after signing a seven-year, $49 million contract.

“My history here, lots of friends in this dressing room still,” said the 35-year-old Kadri, who was originally taken by Toronto at No. 7 in the 2009 draft. “It’s always the team I’ve cheered for — if I wasn’t playing against them.”

On Thursday night, another significant moment for Kadri — his first goal in his Colorado reunion as part of a 5-1 win at Seattle. It's the first time he's scored for the Avalanche since his overtime winner in Game 4 of the 2022 Stanley Cup final at Tampa Bay in a series the Avalanche won 4-2.

Kadri was one of several players the Avalanche picked up near the trade deadline, along with center Nicolas Roy and defensemen Nick Blankenburg and Brett Kulak. Kadri's long been a fan favorite, since Colorado acquired him from the Maple Leafs in 2019.

That's why he received a standing ovation when the team showed a video tribute of him on the day he joined the Avalanche on the ice last weekend against Minnesota.

He could barely keep his focus.

“That was incredible. That was special,” Kadri said. “We had a big power-play coming up, and it was hard not to get teary-eyed. It was affecting my vision a little bit. Obviously, incredible support — just really makes me feel at home.”

Kadri's final season in Denver was one of his finest all-around performances, setting career-highs in assists (59) and points (87) to earn his first of two career NHL All-Star Game accolades.

The Flames never went to the postseason after signing him. Colorado hasn't made it past the second round since his departure.

Nothing's changed, his teammates say, with Kadri — he's still the same gritty, intensely driven player as always.

“He's aged, I guess, like fine cheese,” Makar said. “He’s a competitive guy, and he’ll show up in the right moments. That’s why you get a guy like that.”

Added defenseman Josh Manson: “He can do so many things that can be a game-changing moment for a team.”

Kadri will give a boost to the power play, which despite the scoring skills of MacKinnon and Martin Necas still has one of the lower-ranked units in the league with 34 goals on 209 chances.

“It's quite simple — if somebody’s open give it to them, especially with the group we have,” said Kadri, who led the Flames with 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists) before the trade.

So far, he's been paired at times with MacKinnon and Necas. But he's versatile enough to be shifted around.

“All the things that he did for us in 2022, I feel like he can still do for us again,” coach Jared Bednar said. “So we’re going to put him in similar situations that he was in back then. ... He also adds that leadership and that swagger that you like to have in your locker room this time of year.”

Kadri's already getting up to speed in his second go-around with the organization. He knows the stakes are high as he goes from one of the worst teams in the Western Conference to a team that's been atop the NHL standings for 119 game days, according to league research. It's tied with the 1996-97 squad for the second-most days in first place in franchise history. The only season the Avalanche had more game days (152) in first place was the Stanley Cup season of 2000-01.

“When I walked in the dressing room, I could feel a sense of focus and determination," Kadri said. "It was great to see. It’s easy to hop on board.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri, top, looks to pass the puck as Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins defends in the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) reacts to scoring with center Nazem Kadri (91) against Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord (35) as center Frederick Gaudreau (89) looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

FILE - Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri (91) lifts the Stanley Cup after the team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, left, greets center Nazem Kadri, right, after Kadri's goal against the Seattle Kraken during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri, left, celebrates scoring against the Seattle Kraken with center Nathan MacKinnon, right, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Stock indexes on Wall Street are losing ground in morning trading Friday, as the fallout from the war with Iran keeps pressure on oil prices, destabilizing the global economy.

The S&P 500 was down 0.2% after having been up as much as 0.9% in the early going. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 34 points, or 0.1%, as of 11:06 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.4% lower.

The latest choppy trading follows heavy turbulence in the market earlier in the week, which has the major indexes headed for their third straight losing week.

In the energy market, which has been roiled by the Iran war and its impact on supplies of crude oil and gas, the price of a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, was above $100 per barrel, though still 0.2% below its $100.46 closing price on Thursday. It’s up more than 37% for the month.

U.S. crude oil was up 0.1% to $95.83 a day after settling at $95.73 per barrel. It’s up around 43% this month.

Oil prices have been volatile since the Iran war began. Iran’s actions have effectively stopped cargo traffic through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil typically sails. That has oil producers cutting production because their crude has nowhere to go.

If the war continues to hamper the production and transportation of oil from the Persian Gulf, it could cause a surge in inflation that could hurt the global economy. Analysts have said that if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, oil prices could jump to $150 relatively quickly.

While the International Energy Agency said Wednesday its members would make a record 400 million barrels of oil available from their emergency reserves, some economists believe that would do little to reassure markets.

President Donald Trump signaled earlier this week that he would take more action to address the squeeze on oil flows. The move follows the administration’s decision to grant temporary permission for India to buy Russian oil.

A new snapshot of consumer spending Friday shows inflation crept higher in January, even before the Iran war caused oil and gas prices to spike.

The Commerce Department said prices rose 2.8% in January compared with a year earlier. But excluding the volatile food and energy categories — which the Federal Reserve pays closer attention to — core prices rose 3.1%, up from 3% in the prior month and the highest in nearly two years.

Even so, consumers still lifted their spending at a solid 0.4% pace in January, with their incomes rising at the same pace, according to the report.

Consumer spending powers about two-thirds of the economy, which is why economists keep a close watch on trends in incomes and spending.

The University of Michigan's latest gauge of consumer sentiment on Friday showed consumer sentiment declined slightly to its lowest reading of the year as gasoline price hikes since the start of the war in Iran.

Meanwhile, the Labor Department said Friday U.S. job openings jumped to nearly 7 million in January, topping economists’ forecasts.

Wall Street also got an update on how U.S. economic growth fared in the October-December quarter. The economy, hobbled by last fall’s 43-day government shutdown, grew at a sluggish 0.7% annual rate, a downgrade from its initial estimate last month.

“GDP and the job market have been expanding, but the rate of change has been slowing, which leads to concerns about the overall economy -- and that was even before we stared a war in the Middle East, which spiked the price of oil,” Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Northlight Asset Management, said in an email.

Most of the sectors in the S&P 500 were rising Friday, with financial and health care stocks driving most of the gains. JPMorgan rose 1.1% and Eli Lilly added 1.6%.

Software maker Adobe fell 6% even after it beat Wall Street’s sales and profit forecasts. Investors were likely underwhelmed by the company’s forecast for its recurring subscription revenue.

Ulta Beauty slid 10.5% for the biggest decline among S&P 500 stocks after the beauty and makeup retailer's latest quarterly results fell short of analysts’ profit targets. Ulta’s profit was dinged by a 23% increase in selling, general and administrative expenses, which jumped to $1 billion in the period.

Bitcoin rose 4.6% to just around $72,777, boosting companies that trade or hoard the cryptocurrency. Coinbase Global rose 2.4% and Strategy gained 4.9%.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.25% from 4.26% late Thursday. It was just 3.97% before the war started.

Higher yields help make all kinds of borrowing more expensive, such as mortgages for potential U.S. homebuyers and bond offerings for companies looking to expand. They also push down on prices for all kinds of investments, from stocks to crypto.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose in Europe after also falling in Asia.

In early European trading, Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.2%, Germany’s DAX added 0.2% and France’s CAC 40 gained 0.4%.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index slipped 1.2%. Technology-related stocks saw some of the bigger losses, with SoftBank Group falling 4.5%.

Ryan Falvey works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A motorist fills up the tank of a vehicle at a Coscto gasoline station Thursday, March 12, 2026, in east Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The per-gallon price for premium unleaded fuel is displayed electronically on a pump at a Costco gosoline station Thursday, March 12, 2026, in east Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Friday, March 13, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Friday, March 13, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Gregg Maloney works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)