You know how many NHL games Bozak played going into that season? 32 NHL games right out of college hockey. What were your expectations of him playing with a 100 ft Kessel?
Kadri has now only played 174 NHL games, and is -10 with a lot of flaws. Big difference huh?
So you quote Bozak's GP going INTO the season, but cite Kadri's current GP? Call a spade a spade. He had 99 going into this year, spread out over four years. He's played 174 NHL games and is a +3, stop bringing stats out of context.
You also ignore that Kadri has had to play with an 100 ft Lupul all year, who stats indicate may be worse that Kessel defensively.
Yep, sounds like another JVR right? I would take a lazy Kane over a lazy Kadri any day, he is a power forward that can score 30 and inflict pain to the opposition. Kadri is a maybe 30 goal scorer that flops around like a seal, something that is really getting tiresome to leafs fans and the refs.
Kane hit 30 two years ago and hasn't come close to pacing for it since. Not really the consistent 30 goal guy. He's also rumoured to have attitude problems and was a healthy scratch recently.
He's also a career -11 and a -9 on the year. Why is he an upgrade again?
Kadri is in his 4th pro season, and still learning, apparently he has not learned defence fast enough in the AHL or NHL yet. 5th pro season next year, if he is still playing the softest mins for our Center group next year, I sure hope he is not -10. Otherwise this is the slowest developing future #1C we have seen in while.
If you count two ~25 game seasons as a full schedule... then sure he's going to hit his "5th" season next year.
Matt Duchene is a career -22 and in his third year scored at a 40 point pace while spotting a -11. No doubt you would have been calling for his head. I'm sure Colorado is happy they didn't part ways with him.
I see a bunch of ridiculous arguments in this thread against him and it's hard to take someone seriously when they have such a personal vendetta against a player.
I hope you don't ignore this because I'm curious, if we do land the Bogosain(highest ESTOI/G per game for Winnipeg, we're going to have to add++) or Gubrandson(6th in ESTOI/G on a terrible Florida squad). Are you comfortable with the C depth going forward assuming we sign Bolland?
Aside from his marginal better play than Kadri, once he gets injured (he's NEVER played a full 82) we're going to roll with.
Bozak
Holland
Smith
???
This organization is in NO position to give up C depth, and it would crazy to give up on Kadri now without giving him one more year. I agree he's getting close to the age where what you see is what you get, but he is not there yet. He's shown enough improvement on faceoffs and defensive play IMO where gambling on one more year with him may just be worth it.
I'd rather gamble on that extra year and find out he won't ever be average defensively, then give up on him now and watch him blossom into a first line center wearing another team's jersey.
