This is Nazem Kadri's Chance.

[Hunters Rule]

No chance.

Literally, no one wants this guy.

It's not a joke. NO one is calling for him.

Arizona flirted with the idea because they needed to get to the cap floor, and then they went and landed Vermette.

He's likely to get moved, however the return will be less than what HF posters were looking for.

 

[Daisy Jane]

He's likely to get moved, however the return will be less than what HF posters were looking for.

I'm good with a 7th. Thommie can do wonders with it.

 

[Hunters Rule]

He's a fantastic possession player, with offensive skill and can draw penalties with ease.

If he plays well I can see Babcock loving his game and kerping him as a #2 centre for years to come.

Totally agree I believe he will flourish under Babcock, if he is not consistent in his play he likely goes sometime next year. A good indicator will be is physical shape at the start of camp as Babcock noted at the draft he talked to each player what he's looking for when they show up in September.

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

He's likely to get moved, however the return will be less than what HF posters were looking for.

Who says we're looking for anything in return? A conditional 7th sounds good.

 

[FreeBird]

This is it.

Next Year he'll be our #1 centre. He'll be getting top power play minutes. He'll be going head to head with the best.

Our offense is running through him this season.

I really hope he trains hard the next 2-3 months, because it's a big opportunity.

This time next season, will we be talking about how Kadri solidified himself as a top 6 forward, or even a top line forward?

I'm excited to see what he does.

Watching over the years he has a lot Kessel in him, it will be interesting how Babs deals with him.

 

[mikebel111*]

Watching over the years he has a lot Kessel in him, it will be interesting how Babs deals with him.

well at least he performs in playoffs unlike Max Pac

 

[TmlHockeyFan]

I don't see Kadri getting traded this season. Both Mark and Dale Hunter were high on him in juniors, and I'm pretty sure they still like him. They probably want to see what Babcock can do with him before they come up with any decisions. And he has made players around him look better.

I say he gets at least another season with us. After that, they may start evaluating whether they still want to keep him long-term. He's been decent for us, not the worst, but not the best either. I'd like to see how he does under Babcock. I'm not getting my hopes up to see that he'll have a really good season though, but he'll probably hit about 60 points.

 

[stamkos]

Want him out, he's had plenty of chances nothings changed. Now he's gonna act like a vet. No thanks

 

[mikebel111*]

Want him out, he's had plenty of chances nothings changed. Now he's gonna act like a vet. No thanks

nope

 

[ECanuck]

Last year when he played with Santa and Winnik... it was the best I had ever seen him play.

Santa was playing terrifically, and Winnik is just a solid player. Not hard to see why his play dipped when we shipped out all our dept.

He has the ability, now he likely gets his chance to anchor the team.

I think most people are missing the boat on this one. There won't be much of a team left to anchor. Jonathan Toews would have a tough time making this team look good.

 

[Trapper]

Kadri won't be given anything, he'll have to prove it.
Players who can play center on the Leafs:
Bozak,Kadri,Holland,Arcobello,Spaling,Carrick,Winnik,Komarov.
Babcock did it all the time in Detroit with Zetterberg,Franzen,Helm,Weiss,Andersson,Glendening.
It's audition time.

 

[TmlHockeyFan]

I won't be surprised if he moves to wing for some games. Nothing wrong with being versatile to play more than 1 position.

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

I won't be surprised if he moves to wing for some games. Nothing wrong with being versatile to play more than 1 position.

I still think Bozak centering Kadri could actually work, they could be a pretty good 2 way line. Bozak can take the draws and Kadri can handle the offensive creativity.

 

[91Kadri91*]

I still think Bozak centering Kadri could actually work, they could be a pretty good 2 way line. Bozak can take the draws and Kadri can handle the offensive creativity.

Bozak has done absolutely nothing to suggest he's a good defensive forward.

 

[Dangles McGavin]

Straight up, Kadri is not athletic enough to be a #1C.

He's got weak acceleration, he's weak on his skates, he has a weak shot.

I like Naz, he's just not a #1C. Decent player though.

 

[Bullseye]

Kadri won't be given anything, he'll have to prove it.
Players who can play center on the Leafs:
Bozak,Kadri,Holland,Arcobello,Spaling,Carrick,Winnik,Komarov.
Babcock did it all the time in Detroit with Zetterberg,Franzen,Helm,Weiss,Andersson,Glendening.
It's audition time.

The Corporal may be in the slammer.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Straight up, Kadri is not athletic enough to be a #1C.

He's got weak acceleration, he's weak on his skates, he has a weak shot.

I like Naz, he's just not a #1C. Decent player though.

Maybe Marner and Nylander can convert to Center, Kadri to wing?

 

[BlueBaron]

Maybe Marner and Nylander can convert to Center, Kadri to wing?

I think expecting both to work out as Centres is asking a bit much. I expect Marner will be the C. Long term I am not sure there is a place for Kadri unless, like you say he shifts to wing. I would like some size in one of the top 2 C spots and I am resigned to Marner as our #1 so I wouldn't mind upgrading Kadri. Of course these are the least of our concerns at the present.

I hope those thinking Kadri will rise to the task are right but I think making him the man right now is setting him up to fail.

 

[tml19]

LOL at people saying Bozak only returns a 7th. You can get a 2nd or a 3rd and 4th for him. The only thing I feel preventing that deal is the market for other centers. Bozak is likely the #2 or #3 plan for most teams needing a depth center. His contract is not that bad either for what he does and i am sure the leafs could take on a contract like Robidas' if the team makes it a 2nd.

 

[Darkside Blue]

I have a feeling that Naz's going to get Randied a lot, i.e. benched for coasting on a shift, like Randy used to do so often to him. The only difference is that Mike Babcock will do this to everyone who coasts, and not use Naz as the lightning rod for his frustration with the team.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

Straight up, Kadri is not athletic enough to be a #1C.

He's got weak acceleration, he's weak on his skates, he has a weak shot.

I like Naz, he's just not a #1C. Decent player though.

Exactly. Decent player but not a top building block worth hanging onto through this rebuild phase. He's two years from UFA status so by the time this team could be winning in 3 to 5 years he'll be expensive and getting towards heading out of his prime.

He is absolutely not a # 1 or # 2 forward on a contender and if he was going to ever be that guy he'd have done more by this point in his career. You don't get sentimental about a # 3-5 forward like Kadri through a 3-5 year rebuild just like LA moved on from Cammalleri or Florida moved on from Horton. We'll have completely wasted his prime years.

This team has undersized skill guys in Marner, Nylander, Kapanen vying for two six spots in a few years and even Brown + Leipsic as middle 6 guys. We can only have so much of a similar type of player and these guys will be a lot cheaper than Kadri.

I see the writing on the wall for us to move on from Kadri. We should try to sell high on him this deadline.

Holding onto Kadri would be very similar to how the Oilers kept Hemsky through their brutal rebuild years despite the writing being on the wall that they should have sold him off because of offensive young forwards emerging. Eventually they traded him for next to nothing.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

I think expecting both to work out as Centres is asking a bit much. I expect Marner will be the C. Long term I am not sure there is a place for Kadri unless, like you say he shifts to wing. I would like some size in one of the top 2 C spots and I am resigned to Marner as our #1 so I wouldn't mind upgrading Kadri. Of course these are the least of our concerns at the present.

I hope those thinking Kadri will rise to the task are right but I think making him the man right now is setting him up to fail.

Also factor in that Kapanen + Brown are legitimate top 6 skill undersized prospects who should be competing for those wings spots.

Kadri soon enough will become expensive for what he can contribute as our youngsters emerge. Similar to how Kadri made Grabo less valuable as they both needed similar types of minutes to succeed.

 

[Menzinger]

Also factor in that Kapanen + Brown are legitimate top 6 skill undersized prospects who should be competing for those wings spots.

Kadri soon enough will become expensive for what he can contribute as our youngsters emerge. Similar to how Kadri made Grabo less valuable as they both needed similar types of minutes to succeed.

Neither Brown nor Kapanen have proven they are better players than Kadri.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

Neither Brown nor Kapanen have proven they are better players than Kadri.

I don't expect them to be either.

But I expect them to become at the very least middle 6ers who will be significantly cheaper than Kadri in 3 to 5 years.

Kadri getting premium top dollars in a few years when we have a lot of similar style players needing similar minutes to succeed means that Kadri will be taking cap space away that could be better utilized elsewhere on the roster.

There is no rush to trade Kadri but as early as the 16-17 season as youngsters emerge he'll become much like Grabo who had his role overtaken (by Kadri) and simply became somewhat redundant and expensive.

 

[JMilne*]

i use to love him , now i cant wait till he gets traded lol hes a second line center at best hes another bozak with less faceoff % get your value now and trade him