Speculation: Is Kadri going through the motions this year?

[Budsfan]

he's played the same minutes as the prior two seasons, both on the PP and 5on5.

He's just having a bad season.

Grass isn't always greener. Not saying he should remain a Leaf or ask for a trade or whether he should be flipped for a right-shot dman that everyone loves (unless they get someone who's not superb and then more complaints) - but this narrative of "Naz needs a role, Naz in the top six" is kinda nonsense - speaking as an HF poster who should probably be sleeping.

The problem is his Goal/Assist production has fallen off dramatically and is there any proof it is not on a downswing, he doesn't play a 3rd line centre role, a 3rd line should be a checking line and he does not back check very well, nor does he play on the PK, so he is strictly a goal scorer, that needs to play in the top six.
He has now become a square peg in a round hole and his supporters want his wingers changed all the time because they feed him the puck in the slot so he can take a shot on the net, he can't play on the wing and even when on the PP, he is the center and Matthews is on his wing, and this is not optimal either and should he want to continue his career, he should ask to be traded to another team to play in the top 6, so he can play the role of a scoring centre, here he will not ever be in that role and moving to another team may be in his best interests.
There is no practical reason for him to stay with the Leafs and no reason not to move to another team.

 

[JayfromNB1219]

Where has the old Kadri gone? He hasn't been the same player since he was suspended last season in the playoffs.

I know he had a concussion mid-season but he was not very physical before that happened either.

Has he looked around at his soft teammates and made a decision to simply go through the motions instead of putting his body on the line?

Is he pouting about his role this year after 91 was signed?

Is he pouting about how much money he is earning compared to Nylander who has NEVER scored more than 22 goals? I'm sure he is well aware of what Marner will be earning next year.

In conclusion, if he's not being a rat and hitting people he is useless and must be traded this off-season. I've been a big Kadri supporter from day one but his play this year has been unacceptable. He's part of the problem.

The guy has had quite the year he got married if I am not mistaken (and yes that will dull you a little bit, injuries and a massively reduced role on the team...I think he needs a change of position personally...make him a winger with AM and AJ or JT and MM let Nylander drive a line with KK (as much as I like WN with AM ) I mean let's be honest here my idea for what the lines should be

Kadri Tavares Marner
Hyman Matthews Nylander
Kapanen Marleau Johnsson
Ennis GOAT Moore
Brown
Rielley Dermott
Muzzin Zaitsev
Gardiner Hainsey
Rosen

Andersen
Sparks

and I am sure I messed up LD and RD but with the players we have they really shouldn't have as large of a problem as it is painted out to be

 

[ninetyone]

The problem is his Goal/Assist production has fallen off dramatically and is there any proof it is not on a downswing, he doesn't play a 3rd line centre role, a 3rd line should be a checking line and he does not back check very well, nor does he play on the PK, so he is strictly a goal scorer, that needs to play in the top six.
He has now become a square peg in a round hole and his supporters want his wingers changed all the time because they feed him the puck in the slot so he can take a shot on the net, he can't play on the wing and even when on the PP, he is the center and Matthews is on his wing, and this is not optimal either and should he want to continue his career, he should ask to be traded to another team to play in the top 6, so he can play the role of a scoring centre, here he will not ever be in that role and moving to another team may be in his best interests.
There is no practical reason for him to stay with the Leafs and no reason not to move to another team.

I wouldn't equate being a 3rd line player with any specific role. Not want to oversimplify by saying it needs to be a shut-down role. Babcock (any coach) will say that all centres/lines/players need to be focused on defensive play.

Naz has shown to be an amazing shut-down guy in the past, effective against McDavid, so I wouldn't suggest that he's bad defensively. The narrative around "Naz needs a role" was purely created by the media as speculation that he's going to "suffer" from having Tavares playing ahead of him instead of Bozak - but his minutes (both 5on5 and PP) are identical. Maybe the simplest answer is the correct one, he's having a bad year. It happens, even without conspiracies and speculation.

Whether you call him a scoring centre or not is solely based on whether he scores, or not. If he plays with good linemates (Nylander - Marleau or Kapanen - Johnsson are pretty solid offensive wingers) and plays 16min+ with 2min+ on the PP, like the prior two years, I don't see a reason he'd score HALF the goals.
He wouldn't be the first player to drop off in production after successful offesnive years - Eberle, Gagner, Strome, but there's also the chance that it's just that - a down year, considering much change, new linemates, Willy missing a huge chunk of time and playing poorly, Marleau slowing down.

The idea he could go to, say, the Habs/Islanders and play in a more prominent 1st/2nd line role sounds wonderful, and maybe (especially given his contract), the Leafs can get a pretty solid asset back to fill a need, but that's a whole separate conversation so why is production is way down.

 

[Budsfan]

I wouldn't equate being a 3rd line player with any specific role. Not want to oversimplify by saying it needs to be a shut-down role. Babcock (any coach) will say that all centres/lines/players need to be focused on defensive play.

Naz has shown to be an amazing shut-down guy in the past, effective against McDavid, so I wouldn't suggest that he's bad defensively. The narrative around "Naz needs a role" was purely created by the media as speculation that he's going to "suffer" from having Tavares playing ahead of him instead of Bozak - but his minutes (both 5on5 and PP) are identical. Maybe the simplest answer is the correct one, he's having a bad year. It happens, even without conspiracies and speculation.

Whether you call him a scoring centre or not is solely based on whether he scores, or not. If he plays with good linemates (Nylander - Marleau or Kapanen - Johnsson are pretty solid offensive wingers) and plays 16min+ with 2min+ on the PP, like the prior two years, I don't see a reason he'd score HALF the goals.
He wouldn't be the first player to drop off in production after successful offesnive years - Eberle, Gagner, Strome, but there's also the chance that it's just that - a down year, considering much change, new linemates, Willy missing a huge chunk of time and playing poorly, Marleau slowing down.

The idea he could go to, say, the Habs/Islanders and play in a more prominent 1st/2nd line role sounds wonderful, and maybe (especially given his contract), the Leafs can get a pretty solid asset back to fill a need, but that's a whole separate conversation so why is production is way down.

He is not a good shut-down player, if he was he would play on the PK, he takes a lot of shots from the slot and needs wingers to feed him the puck, look up his stats, most professional athletes have an ego and would want to go to a team, where they could use their talents to their best effectiveness, frankly one way or another he too will leave the team as did Bozak, he is just another hockey player, that no longer fits the teams needs, you only have to see that Nylander could have taken his place when he was injured Nylander played a a two way game, Kadri doesn't.
With a cap crunch on the horizon for next season his cap hit could be used to sign other players and I expect a lot of players will be changing teams for next season and will be scrutinized for their usefulness and cap costs to the team and that can be replaced by younger cheaper players.

 

[ninetyone]

He is not a good shut-down player, if he was he would play on the PK, he takes a lot of shots from the slot and needs wingers to feed him the puck, look up his stats, most professional athletes have an ego and would want to go to a team, where they could use their talents to their best effectiveness, frankly one way or another he too will leave the team as did Bozak, he is just another hockey player, that no longer fits the teams needs, you only have to see that Nylander could have taken his place when he was injured Nylander played a a two way game, Kadri doesn't.
With a cap crunch on the horizon for next season his cap hit could be used to sign other players and I expect a lot of players will be changing teams for next season and will be scrutinized for their usefulness and cap costs to the team and that can be replaced by younger cheaper players.

well, change happens every year, for all kinds of reasons, cap being one, role, culture changes, coaching/system philosophy, etc.

Bozak left for more money, not better stats. That was mutual and the same for JVR. The fact Nylander played centre in Naz' absence means nothing, and I'd argue neither Willy or Bozak are good defensively. In terms of Naz being on the PK, Babs never uses players on BOTH the PP and PK unless it's an exceptional player like Marner (I think Datsyk and Zetterberg did both as well)

I haven't always been a Kadri fan but the prior two years have shown him to be a really effective player at a very good cap number - and this year, it's not.

Dubas' objective needs to be to use every available dollar to buy as many wins as possible, set the team up to go deep in the playoffs, every year. It's not to ensure Kadri (or any other player) gets sufficient offensive looks, to score X-goals per season.

Babcock says all the time he's looking to win games, not to maximize the goals/points for Marner, Matthews (in response to why they never played together - even before Tavares) - how they can both drive a line.

Your approach is very Kadri-centric, which is about him maybe playing a more prominent role (with better stats, more importance) in another organization. The way I look at it, Dubas needs to assess what the team needs in order to beat Boston, Tampa (not because they are tops in the regular season this year, but because they would have to immediately face them this year in the playoffs, and probably the next two!).

If it's determined they need a defenseman, then it's a matter of what assets do they have that can land someone, and who's available. And that will differ for each team/scenario and maybe Naz or Willy or others are part of that potential trade.

I'm sure other teams that like Naz will be attracted to the $4.5 cap hit, cost certainty for a few years, prior back-to-back 30G seasons, he plays centre, has played a match-up/shut-down role successfully in the past and there will be lots of interest. Regardless of how this year's gone.

 

[notDatsyuk]

i wish people would stop using "reduced ice time" and one of the excuses for his lessened productivity.

Over the last three seasons, him average TOI has gone from 16:35 to 16:46 to 16:11, while his average PP TOI has gone from 2:11 to 2:05 to 2:37.

So compared to last year, he's averaging about a minute less ES, and about half a minute more PP. Ice time is not a valid excuse.

 

[Pookie]

well, change happens every year, for all kinds of reasons, cap being one, role, culture changes, coaching/system philosophy, etc.

Bozak left for more money, not better stats. That was mutual and the same for JVR. The fact Nylander played centre in Naz' absence means nothing, and I'd argue neither Willy or Bozak are good defensively. In terms of Naz being on the PK, Babs never uses players on BOTH the PP and PK unless it's an exceptional player like Marner (I think Datsyk and Zetterberg did both as well)

I haven't always been a Kadri fan but the prior two years have shown him to be a really effective player at a very good cap number - and this year, it's not.

Dubas' objective needs to be to use every available dollar to buy as many wins as possible, set the team up to go deep in the playoffs, every year. It's not to ensure Kadri (or any other player) gets sufficient offensive looks, to score X-goals per season.

Babcock says all the time he's looking to win games, not to maximize the goals/points for Marner, Matthews (in response to why they never played together - even before Tavares) - how they can both drive a line.

Your approach is very Kadri-centric, which is about him maybe playing a more prominent role (with better stats, more importance) in another organization. The way I look at it, Dubas needs to assess what the team needs in order to beat Boston, Tampa (not because they are tops in the regular season this year, but because they would have to immediately face them this year in the playoffs, and probably the next two!).

If it's determined they need a defenseman, then it's a matter of what assets do they have that can land someone, and who's available. And that will differ for each team/scenario and maybe Naz or Willy or others are part of that potential trade.

I'm sure other teams that like Naz will be attracted to the $4.5 cap hit, cost certainty for a few years, prior back-to-back 30G seasons, he plays centre, has played a match-up/shut-down role successfully in the past and there will be lots of interest. Regardless of how this year's gone.

In terms of Bozak, note he has 26 points at EV in an older body.

Kadri has 29

Playing shut down in the past is no indication he can still do it.

Plekanec stole his job last year in the Boston series and Kadri was benched in the 3rd period of game 5 with a close score.

Being a good shut down player only counts if you still are. Jury is out.

 

[Stephen]

I think they need to feed Kadri's ego somewhat to get him going, especially come playoffs against Boston. Need to get it in his head that he can be a beast shutdown center and go out and prove it against top lines. Hack, slash, shadow, face wash, smother, counter punch, scrum, all the dirty work required to render Krejci and Bergeron useless. He doesn't need to make the pretty plays or score X goals, but make it impossible for the opposition to get anything going. I think that kind of assignment could give him some focus and enjoyment.

 

[thewave]

Kadri loves truculent wingers. He has an old guy and whomever. The line sucks so why the heck would you put your neck on the line, nobody is there that will help you if you get in a jam. I wouldn't.

p***ycat team takes on p***ycat personality.