News Article: From prospect to player, Nazem Kadri is making the most of his time in Toronto

[Leafstain22]

The key moment for Nazem Kadri came not with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but with the Toronto Marlies, their minor-league affiliate. It came in a meeting with Dallas Eakins, the kind of meeting coaches often have with skilled players about the other side of the game.

Simply telling Kadri what to do wasn't working, so Eakins started asking questions: "If you were your opponent in this situation, what would you want Nazem Kadri to do? What would you not want Nazem Kadri to do?" Kadri discovered that he knew the answers – where to go when you don't have the puck, how to manage the puck when you have it, and why.
"I would say to Naz, 'You should be the best defensive player on our team, because you know every offensive trick there is,' " Eakins said. "Then suddenly it started to click. We just had to teach him a different way."
So when was this epiphany? When Kadri played for the Marlies during the lockout? Is that why the seventh overall pick in the 2009 draft looks like he's now in the NHL to stay at 22 years old, leading the Leafs in scoring and playing a more complete game a quarter of the way through the season? Not exactly.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/nhl...he-most-of-his-time-in-toronto-205838983.html

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[Kessely Snipes]

Eakins is going to be a great NHL coach someday.

 

[Hockeylaw]

Eakins is going to be a great NHL coach someday.

Agreed. We have to do our level best to keep in him this organization as long as possible.

And Kadri is impressing, no question. What has surprised me most about him so far is his consistency. He's had a bad game or two, but almost every night he's making something out of nothing on a creative play, throwing a big hit, or drawing a penalty. Looking like the real deal.

 

[TheKule]

Kadri has developed into the player he was drafted to be. Excellent vision and excellent hands, a combination that throws the opposition's defensive positioning into disarray.

As he gets more and more confident on the ice look to his chippyness and general douchebagery to increase ten fold.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Great read. Love Kadris game and what Eakins has helped do

 

[The Winter Soldier]

But did anyone ask Dallas can Nazem score 58 points in the NHL?

 

[stakesishigh]

This kid is becoming exactly what we all hoped he would when we drafted him. Every night he's out there making things happen.

I'm thrilled he's finally being given a fair shake in the NHL. I think Wilson set back his development a bit and did nothing to help him, but Carlyle is using him effectively.

Kudos to Eakins, he's done wonders in the AHL with our prospects.

 

[Pinto]

Great article. Naz has been awesome so far.

 

[cyris]

Agreed. We have to do our level best to keep in him this organization as long as possible.

And Kadri is impressing, no question. What has surprised me most about him so far is his consistency. He's had a bad game or two, but almost every night he's making something out of nothing on a creative play, throwing a big hit, or drawing a penalty. Looking like the real deal.

They need to give him a raise bringing his pay up to atleast the average salary of an NHL coach. MLSE has tons of money and has shown a willingness to spend it.(at least under the previous ownership) And maybe that would give Eakins less intensive to leave.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

The Cruzader!!!

 

[LeafsMonster]

Great article. So much respect for dallas eakins, but it sucks to know he's probably going to coach another nhl team. He'll do amazing at it though.

And kudos to kadri for being brutally honest its reassuring to know he hasn't lost confidence in these past years.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Did you guys read between the lines, really paints Wilson in a bad light, maybe even Burke.

 

[7even]

Did you guys read between the lines, really paints Wilson in a bad light, maybe even Burke.

Burke, the guy who drafted him and stuck by him when everyone was labeling him a bust and wanting him shipped out?

Nah, didn't get that.

 

[Bravid Nonahan]

"I get the feeling that he likes me and he likes me as a player," Kadri said. "That helps me out a lot when I know my coach actually can believe in me and have faith in me. That makes me want to work that much harder for him.
"Did I feel that way before? Absolutely not. Not even close. I felt left out. I felt like ... Even though I never, ever once stopped believing in myself, I didn't think other people believed in me. It's a whole different thing putting me with guys that actually can play on the same page as I can offensively. He gives me an opportunity to make myself known and to succeed, whereas before it didn't really seem that way."

What a great environment to be in. Thank goodness Wilson is gone. Man, oh man.

 

[7even]

What a great environment to be in. Thank goodness Wilson is gone. Man, oh man.

Yeah he kinda sucked. A lot.

 

[Superstar]

Did you guys read between the lines, really paints Wilson in a bad light, maybe even Burke.

Wilson for sure, not Burke. Burke could have traded him, but did not.

 

[Pi]

Did you guys read between the lines, really paints Wilson in a bad light, maybe even Burke.

Burke made the biggest mistake in his life by not firing Ron Wilson earlier.

He talks about how there is so much pressure in Toronto but he always shielded Wilson from all of it until it became clear that he had to be fired..

In many ways, I am so happy we missed the playoffs last year. We got Morgan Rielly and got rid of Ron Wilson and hired a coach who has won a Cup and knows what he's doing.

I wouldn't say Kadri was taking a shot there at Burke though...he defended his players through thick and thin and Kadri was no different to him.

Ron Wilson never really earned the respect of any of his players.

To Ron Wilson, Colton Orr was just a guy to send out to fight and that's it...I doubt Orr ever wanted to fight for Wilson. He probably just did it for the $$.

 

[Guy Boucher]

Naz should have made the team from his first season.

They thought he was too small and might get easily injured so they sent him down to juniors and Anthony Belza put him on a "weight gaining" regiment.

The next year he has these "bad habits" and is a much slower player.

He only had those bad habits because he spent an extra year in London dangling around everyone because he was far superior to his competition. And he was only slower because they made him gain weight!

The past two off-season he worked on getting stronger, particularly in his core, as opposed to putting on weight and Eakins helped him get back to using his teammates more.

He was good enough to be on the team in his first season and good enough to be on the team last year.

And he's good enough (provided he continues to improve his core strength) to be a perennial all-star.

 

[Pi]

^^ I think Kadri was ready to be in the league in his first year if we're talking offense...

He has greatly benefited from Dallas Eakins in the AHL. Time spent in the AHL never goes to waste if you put the work..

As talented as Spezza was as a prospect, he was bounced up and down while he was being developed till he finally stuck in the NHL.

Kadri staying down in the AHL, away from the toxic environment that Wilson created was the best for him.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Burke made the biggest mistake in his life by not firing Ron Wilson earlier.

He talks about how there is so much pressure in Toronto but he always shielded Wilson from all of it until it became clear that he had to be fired..

In many ways, I am so happy we missed the playoffs last year. We got Morgan Rielly and got rid of Ron Wilson and hired a coach who has won a Cup and knows what he's doing.

I wouldn't say Kadri was taking a shot there at Burke though...he defended his players through thick and thin and Kadri was no different to him.

Ron Wilson never really earned the respect of any of his players.

To Ron Wilson, Colton Orr was just a guy to send out to fight and that's it...I doubt Orr ever wanted to fight for Wilson. He probably just did it for the $$.

I really felt bad for Rosie and Orr under Wilson, I have said this a few times, but they must have felt like circus animals rather than human beings. RC having Orr on the 3rd line, you don't think players notice that? Orr is very respected in the room, I have told this story before, but prior to a playoff game last year Marlies were playing, Nazem was going to grabbing some fast food, Orr said menacing to him "you better be good tonight Naz". Naz changed dining plans. Positive leader that works hard for his teammates and himself to get back to the NHL.

He's a feel good story, Burke gets credit for sticking with him, I recall sweating it out when he passed waivers.

 

[sangreale]

Naz should have made the team from his first season.

They thought he was too small and might get easily injured so they sent him down to juniors and Anthony Belza put him on a "weight gaining" regiment.

The next year he has these "bad habits" and is a much slower player.

He only had those bad habits because he spent an extra year in London dangling around everyone because he was far superior to his competition. And he was only slower because they made him gain weight!

The past two off-season he worked on getting stronger, particularly in his core, as opposed to putting on weight and Eakins helped him get back to using his teammates more.

He was good enough to be on the team in his first season and good enough to be on the team last year.

And he's good enough (provided he continues to improve his core strength) to be a perennial all-star.

How does this make sense? How can a guy be overweight and too weak and good enough to play in the NHL at the same time.

And Eakins must be a scizo. One year he has him get fat and the next year work on his core. Then after working on his core he tells the media Kadri is too fat.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Burke, the guy who drafted him and stuck by him when everyone was labeling him a bust and wanting him shipped out?

Nah, didn't get that.

yeah, maybe. I know Burke had to stick up for Wilson, but Cherry really thought Burke never had Kadri's back. The nasty habits rant.

 

[Guy Boucher]

How does this make sense? How can a guy be overweight and too weak and good enough to play in the NHL at the same time.

And Eakins must be a scizo. One year he has him get fat and the next year work on his core. Then after working on his core he tells the media Kadri is too fat.

His first year he was not over-weight and was good enough to be on the team.

His second year he put on weight and was terribly balanced and should not have been on the team. (Though I fault Wilson and the team conditioning staff for this - at least in large part).

His third year he had worked off most of that weight, was stronger, and should have been on the team.

This year he should and is on the team.

 

[MakeTheIronSing]

This article reads:

Dear Ron Wilson,

Suck it

Love,

Nazem Kadri

 

[sangreale]

His first year he was not over-weight and was good enough to be on the team.

His second year he put on weight and was terribly balanced and should not have been on the team. (Though I fault Wilson and the team conditioning staff for this - at least in large part).

His third year he had worked off most of that weight, was stronger, and should have been on the team.

This year he should and is on the team.

Kadri doesn't agree with you.