Has Flames star Nazem Kadri gone pass-happy? Why all the assists?

Nobody is claiming that Nazem Kadri is suddenly a pass-first sort.

Shooters shoot, as the saying goes. And Kadri is definitely a shooter.

If you follow the Calgary Flames, though, you’ve likely noticed his season stat-sheet is heavily tilted in favour of assists.

Of Kadri’s team-leading 28 points so far, 22 are helpers.

At roughly 79 per cent, that’s the most lopsided setups-to-snipes ratio of his NHL career. The star centre — now a silver-sticker after hitting the 1,000-game plateau last month — has never finished a full season above 68 per cent.

“What, you think he’s passing more?” teased Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson, a guy who never misses an opportunity for a friendly chirp. “No, he’s shooting and it’s rebounds. He has, like, 110 shots. We looked it up the other day.

“And now he’s like, ‘Oh, but apples.’ I’m like, ‘Apples?!?’ ”

Andersson tilts his head and raises his eyebrows, an indication that he’s not buying it.

“C’mon.”

Turning serious, Andersson outlines why his pal is so effective on the attack, be it as a triggerman or a table-setter.

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Kadri, who buried a career-best 35 goals last winter, is currently leading the Flames in shot attempts (216) and shots on net (104). He’s inside the top 10 in the NHL in both stat categories.

“He obviously sees the game really well,” Andersson said. “And the thing with him is he loves challenging the D, right? So he usually takes a defenceman one-on-one, and that creates space for someone else. And if you put the puck around the net, it’s usually going to end up in a point somehow, if it’s a goal or assist.

“I mean, I think if you talk to him, he’d probably want more goals. But he’s been playing great as of late. He’s our leader offensively and he’s one of those guys that you want to give him the puck, because you know something will happen.”

That’s as true as ever, even if it’s a surprise that Kadri has tallied only six goals through 32 games of the 2025-26 campaign.

The 35-year-old pivot picked up two more apples in Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, including a prime example of his ability to back off a blue-liner.

As the puck-carrier on an odd-man rush, Kadri had Albert Johansson convinced that he was thinking ready, aim, fire. However, as he opened up the forehand and hinted a shot, he spied Matt Coronato and plattered a perfect pass for his trailing teammate.

No. 91 also notched a secondary assist on MacKenzie Weegar’s marker. On that sequence, he retrieved a dump-in and worked the puck back to Andersson at the right point.

Heading into Thursday’s action, there were only 15 players across the NHL with more helpers this season than Kadri.

Calgary’s top centre is on a list of just seven dudes with 100-plus shots and 20-plus setups.

“I’m dishing, I’m dishing,” Kadri grinned after Monday’s three-point performance — one goal, plus a pair of assists — against the Buffalo Sabres. “Hey, I’d like to say I’m pretty well-rounded. When I’m not seeing the puck go in the back of the net for myself, I still want to get involved offensively and playmake and create. And I think I rely on my passing.”

Perhaps it helps that opposing netminders are often anticipating the other option.

“Obviously, he’s a guy that loves to shoot, loves to score,” said Flames teammate Jonathan Huberdeau, who has long had the opposite reputation — that he’d rather do the distributing and have somebody else light the lamp. “But I think the goalies think he’s going to shoot too probably and then that creates a little chaos and when he passes, you have more of an empty net and stuff like that.

“I mean, he’s a guy that holds onto the puck and then the guys can open up, because I feel like he attracts a lot of people to him. That’s probably why he has a lot of assists this year. Usually, he’s more of a goal-scorer, I feel, but I think he’s been dishing the puck really well and it’s nice to see that.”

Kadri would, of course, like to see a few more of his own go in.

But even on pace for his lowest goal total in several years, he continues to key Calgary’s offence.

He has assisted on five strikes by Joel Farabee, four by Coronato, three apiece by Morgan Frost and Yegor Sharangovich, two by Andersson and Kevin Bahl and singles by Huberdeau, Weegar and Matvei Gridin.

“His shooting percentage (5.8%), I know, is low from what it is normally for him,” said Flames bench boss Ryan Huska. “He’s still taking a lot of shots, which we want him to continue to do. Eventually, when you see a guy getting the chances and the shots, it will level out in time. So we just want him to keep shooting the puck.

“But he is generating, so that’s something I feel good about. When you see him around the puck a lot, and his linemates are starting to put pucks in the net, as well, I think it’s a good sign for our team.”

ICE CHIPS: The Flames made a minor move Thursday, reassigning winger Dryden Hunt to the Wranglers. That leaves only a dozen healthy forwards on the roster, so they’ll likely call one up before they depart on their Dads Trip, a two-gamer that includes stops in Los Angeles and San Jose.

wgilbertson@postmedia.com