Calgary Flames End of Season Awards: Team MVP

After plenty of ups and downs, the 2023-24 season for the Calgary Flames may have ended in very disappointing fashion, but there was no lack of impressive performances throughout the 82-game stretch.

From fun rookie campaigns to stellar performances in net and veterans stepping up in a big way, the Flames season was a lot better on paper than their spot in the standings shows, but there was one player that excelled all season beyond any others. Despite heavy competition for the award, that player is veteran forward Nazem Kadri.

In 2022-23, his first season in Calgary after signing a 7-year, $7 million AAV deal, Kadri bore plenty of criticism, even if it wasn’t warranted, but this year he bounced back in a big way, not only statistically but as a leader, making his line with rookies Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil the best on the team. This year, Kadri suited up in every game for the Flames, notching 29 goals and 75 points, only the second time in his career that Kadri passed the 70-point mark in a season.

Not only production on the scoreboard, but Kadri was a consistent leader for this team, and with Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm and other leaders leaving the team during the season, he will no doubt wear an A for the team next season. At 33-years of age, Kadri’s future as a Flame is up in the air, but there’s no way to look back on his 2023-24 campaign and be anything but impressed, with his +/- of exactly 0 an impressive number on a losing team.

Ultimately, this was not a very memorable season for the Flames, but several performers stood out in a good way, with Kadri being at the top of the list, and no matter what his future in Calgary holds, he should have the respect of the fan base after his impressive performance throughout the 2023-24 season.