Sportsnet: Kadri deserves Leafs’ top-line role

[Trapper]

Agree to a point.

Leafs have 1 elite player, and he's one dimensional and soft.

With the Leafs talent level they have to outwork the opposition, but other than the 3rd. line they don't have high rev engines.

You remember the game against the Penguins, every camera shot at the Penguins bench after a shift showed an excited Crosby talking to the players around him. Perhaps that is the difference between good and great talented players, non stop drive.

Well that's the thing. Management can bring in those higher quality players but you can't teach drive.
Not having the right personnel is the same as having a flawed core. Kessel is elite but he can't make Bozak Toews. Neither can Kadri make Kessel Perry. Skill that doesn't compliment would also be flawed.
The players are responsible for compete. You can judge if the core is flawed on this. Management is responsible for bringing in the pieces to compliment Kessel. Again you can judge. By giving Bozak,Lupul,Phaneuf,Clarkson big dollars, they have shown their hand. Whoever you want to blame (or not) it doesn't change what is.

 

[Bill Waters*]

He is what he be: 0.632pt/gm and defensively lazy.

 

[Durrr]

Agree to a point.

Leafs have 1 elite player, and he's one dimensional and soft.

With the Leafs talent level they have to outwork the opposition, but other than the 3rd. line they don't have high rev engines.

You remember the game against the Penguins, every camera shot at the Penguins bench after a shift showed an excited Crosby talking to the players around him. Perhaps that is the difference between good and great talented players, non stop drive.

Don't get me wrong, Im not saying we don't have functional issues. All I'm saying is that we are lacking high end players from the get-go. In my Colorado example, if Duchene is in a slump, there are 4 other guys who can pick it up (Landeskog, ORielly, Mackinnon maybe now Iginla)

When Kessel slumps, what other big name can really get going? Maybe JVR (but you rarely see him going without Kessel) and in the past Kadri/Lupul, but never to the extend of the players mentioned above. (Imo of course). It's not that the team is flawed, it's that it's thin on impact players.

Also, why are all of Randy's juggling combinations so bad? If were struggling to find offense in a game, why isn't he switching around the first two lines completely? I want to start seeing Kadr-JVR, Kadri-Kessel, Lupul-Bozak, Kessel-Lupul.

 

[HellasLEAF]

wouldn't even hesitate to include him in a deal for Staal.

get it done Nonis

 

[one77]

wouldn't even hesitate to include him in a deal for Staal.

get it done Nonis

Agreed. Like the kid but Staal is a major improvement.

 

[Semantics]

I don't know how you can even compare the two?? Bozak is so much more reliable defensively, Kadri needs to take the next step and stay there consistently.

Yeah, Bozak having only six goals scored against him while Kadri has allowed a whopping six goals against really shows how Bozak is vastly superior defensively.

I expect more than 2 points and 0 assists from him in 5 games. Sadly, he has not proven to be better than Bozak and that is a huge indictment on him.

It's not saying much, but Kadri has clearly been better than Bozak this season. One bad game after his line dominating possession for three games in a row does not change that.

I mean if you want to claim Bozak is better because he's had four PP points be my guest; we all know that will likely change by the end of the season considering that Kadri outproduced Bozak 18-8 on the PP last year (from the second unit to boot).

There's also the fact Bozak's last two goals were scored when the Leafs were losing 5-1, and when they were leading 4-1. Where's the production when it counts?

 

[Semantics]

Seems almost a mental/emotional thing going on.

This isn't just on Kadri, last night it seemed like several players just mailed it in.

Mailing it in this early in the season may be highlighting something bigger (or systemic) going on.

Could the rumours be running the room? Out west here there was a comment (by a couple analysts one east one west) about Gardiner and Kadri being available. Perhaps this is playing with their heads?

I agree, this is the most mentally fragile team I've ever seen. Smells like a coaching or dressing room problem from a mile away, maybe both. I think Carlyle and Phaneuf both need to go, it's no secret that both have been disliked by their teammates in the past.

 

[TheThrill81*]

I agree, this is the most mentally fragile team I've ever seen. Smells like a coaching or dressing room problem from a mile away, maybe both. I think Carlyle and Phaneuf both need to go, it's no secret that both have been disliked by their teammates in the past.

Oh great, pure conjecture on what happens in the dressing room. I thought these crazy theories were left in the past.

 

[Faltorvo]

Where's the chippy, agitating play, and explosive hits he's known for?

IDK, maybe he sees what our top paid players get away with and is trying to emulate them.

After all he really is just a small ish skilled player.

Kind of a sad indictment when one of your smaller players is being counted on to be among our most physical.

 

[Semantics]

With the Leafs talent level they have to outwork the opposition, but other than the 3rd. line they don't have high rev engines.

Yup, and that's never going to happen without the "culture change" they kept talking about in the off season. Starting with the coach. Replacing the bottom six with some real players and injecting some character guys like Komarov is a start, but at the end of the day when most of the players all hate the coach, or if they don't enjoy being around their captain, morale is going to be low.

When you talk about players not being at their best, there's always that guy who says "they're professionals making millions, they should give 110% every game", which completely misses the point. Most players *do* give their best effort, but good morale is not something you can just turn on with a switch, and it's something that affects a player mentally and mess with their decision making. Sports psychologists exist for a reason.

 

[Semantics]

Oh great, pure conjecture on what happens in the dressing room. I thought these crazy theories were left in the past.

It's not pure conjecture, it's only partial conjecture. Phaneuf's Calgary teammates have made it known to the press that he wasn't well liked. It would be surprising if his personality has changed enough that he's now well liked in Toronto.

With Randy, four or five players on three or four different teams have come out and publicly criticized his systems and motivational techniques. That's something you very rarely see NHL players do.

 

[Arizonan God]

I'm not going to put too much stock into Kadri's slow start just yet, considering how poorly most of the team has played. But I agree he needs to step it up. I think he will, he has the ability and the drive imo.

 

[Bluelines]

It's not pure conjecture, it's only partial conjecture. Phaneuf's Calgary teammates have made it known to the press that he wasn't well liked. It would be surprising if his personality has changed enough that he's now well liked in Toronto.

With Randy, four or five players on three or four different teams have come out and publicly criticized his systems and motivational techniques. That's something you very rarely see NHL players do.

Can you supply a link to support that statement?

 

[LeafsMonster]

His line has played great in 2 or 3 games. They had their off day last night, but he hasn't been playing as bad as you guys think.

He has slow starts. Last year and the year before with the marlies it took him about 10 games to get going. That shouldn't be a shock. Its only 5 games in.. too early to be making judgments on who should be stepping up and who should be traded

 

[FerrisRox]

I think Bozak should stay the number 1 center. Great two way player and he works hard every game.

By absolutely no definition of the term is Tyler Bozak a great two way player.

 

[Hockey Talker29]

By absolutely no definition of the term is Tyler Bozak a great two way player.

Basically, he is average offensively, so people say he is good defensively to cover up the fact that he has no business on a 1st line.

I'd say he's at the league average in both areas.

 

[Nithoniniel]

I really don't get the 'player deserves this or that'-angle. It's not about deserving, it's about what is best for the team. They are not the same.

I also don't get the fascination with Staal. He is the typical Toronto player, offensively minded with a very questionable two-way game who often lacks effort. I thought people wanted to move away from that kind of team?

 

[Bill Waters*]

Lmao nit picking when he score points now, you people are pathetic... Wheres Kadri's production overall if hes so much better?

Dont you understand: he's got better possession numbers (and numbers dont lie).

 

[Bill Waters*]

I really don't get the 'player deserves this or that'-angle. It's not about deserving, it's about what is best for the team. They are not the same.

I also don't get the fascination with Staal. He is the typical Toronto player, offensively minded with a very questionable two-way game who often lacks effort. I thought people wanted to move away from that kind of team?

That's actually a good distinction. I began reading your post and thought: hear we go again, another person who cant tell the difference between desert and entitlement. nice.

 

[King85Kong]

Yeah, Bozak having only six goals scored against him while Kadri has allowed a whopping six goals against really shows how Bozak is vastly superior defensively.



It's not saying much, but Kadri has clearly been better than Bozak this season. One bad game after his line dominating possession for three games in a row does not change that.

I mean if you want to claim Bozak is better because he's had four PP points be my guest; we all know that will likely change by the end of the season considering that Kadri outproduced Bozak 18-8 on the PP last year (from the second unit to boot).

There's also the fact Bozak's last two goals were scored when the Leafs were losing 5-1, and when they were leading 4-1. Where's the production when it counts?

Yup, Kadri has been the better player so far this year.

 

[dballislife2]

if u have a player with the offensive gifts of kadri...u gotta give him great linemates to play with...bozak works hard but his puck skills are average even for a 2nd liner

 

[The Winter Soldier]

His game is much the same as last year. The stats tell the story. 6GP, 2 goals, 0 assists. On a 27 point pace this season abeit it has only been 6 games. Team high -4. He is getting more ice time this year, but had a rough night last night in face-offs. Lots of room for improvement.

In a RFA year.

What the Leafs do with him, will be interesting.

 

[Arizonan God]

His game is much the same as last year. The stats tell the story. 6GP, 2 goals, 0 assists. On a 27 point pace this season abeit it has only been 6 games. Team high -4. He is getting more ice time this year, but had a rough night last night in face-offs. Lots of room for improvement.

In a RFA year.

What the Leafs do with him, will be interesting.

He's looked worse then last year. Last year he was a servicable 2nd liner. This year (so far) he's been an invisible 2nd liner.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

He's looked worse then last year. Last year he was a servicable 2nd liner. This year (so far) he's been an invisible 2nd liner.

He's getting more minutes, his QOC has gone up this season. Still not in the top half of the team. But significantly up from last season.

I don't want to say he is being Grabovski'd since he is still being put in offensive positions with an offensive player in Lupul this year, who has played well for the most. But it is something to watch, can he produce in more challenging match ups that he was sheltered for the most his past 2 years.

 

[Durrr]

He's looked worse then last year. Last year he was a servicable 2nd liner. This year (so far) he's been an invisible 2nd liner.

Besides maybe the friday Detroit game, he's playing much better then last season.