'The time is now': Patience pays off for Nazem Kadri, who finds new home in Calgary

Nazem Kadri said the Calgary Flames expressed interest the moment he became an unrestricted free agent, but it was an "elaborate process" before he finally signed on the dotted line on Thursday.

"The patience definitely did me some good," Kadri told reporters in a Zoom call Friday. "There were some decisions to be made."

The Flames' wild off-season took another dramatic turn Thursday when the team signed the coveted free agent to a seven-year, $49-million US deal.

Before the deal could be made official, Calgary sent forward Sean Monahan and a conditional 2025 first-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for future considerations in a move to create salary cap space for Kadri's contract.

"That's part of the reason why it's been taking so long," Kadri said from Paris, where he is on vacation.

Looking good in red, <a href="https://twitter.com/43_Kadri?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@43_Kadri</a>