Nazem Kadri Belongs on the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the right track, but there are many pieces looking to be moved and many holes left to be filled.
The rebuild has been going great for the Leafs. Many players have been finding a comfortable spot at home in Toronto. There have been many rumours circulating about player transactions, but not all of them happen. One player who has consistently been speculated in trade rumours for a number of years is Nazem Kadri. He has, however, definitely proven that he deserves a permanent spot in Toronto going forward, and Toronto knows why.
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Fixing His Errors
In the past, Nazem Kadri may have not been the ideal defensive player.
Yes, his offensive game was up to par, but he did use to find himself turning over the puck and breaking down defensively at unruly times. His maturity levels also varied throughout the years, including an incident in which he was scratched for two games in 2015 after sleeping in for practice.
It was evident for a while that his defensive game and discipline could be worked on, which had many people debating his belongingness in Toronto. There is always time to progress however, and Kadri has shown that he can mature and mould into a key player that a team can depend on.
Contract Situation
Just last year, the Maple Leafs resigned Kadri to a six-year contract extension worth $4.5 million per. His deal was signed alongside defenceman Morgan Rielly’s, who got a similar six-year deal worth $5 million per.
The Leafs signed the pair to these long-term deals because management believes they both are young, key pieces who will have something to prove as part of the team’s future core.
According to Brenden Shanahan and co., Toronto’s rebuild plan could take anywhere from 3-5 years and onwards. Kadri, 26, will be 31 by the time the remaining five years of his contract are finished.
Ever since the 2012-13 season, Kadri has been among the Leafs top 4 players in point totals, finishing last season as the team’s leading scorer. He really has put up productive seasons, including career highs of 20 goals and 50 points in the 2013-14 season.
These upcoming years are going to be his prime years, and Toronto is also expected to be contenders during this tenure. With him only trending upwards, management has no doubt in their minds that Kadri is a key piece for their future roster, hence the long-term contract.
He has shown he has the skill to be a capable second-line NHL centre, and Toronto definitely believes it. With an affordable contract now, it’s his turn to prove that he deserves every penny of it.
A Career Year
If there was ever any doubt about Nazem Kadri’s place in Toronto, his performance this season should be enough to shut naysayers up.
This season has been Kadri’s best yet. With the help of coach Mike Babcock, Kadri has developed his two-way game tremendously. His game is more complete now, budding offensively and becoming a force defensively. He has become the Leafs go-to shutdown centre–the player who has been put on the ice to matchup against the opposing team’s best players. He even successfully shut down Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, proving that he has the grit and flare to be a force not to be reckoned with.
Offensively, Kadri is seeing his best season as well. In 59 games played, Kadri has 25 goals and 22 assists for a total of 47 points. He has already beat his career high goal total, and with 23 games left on the season, he will surely pass his point total too. With 10 power play goals on the season, he is the Leafs leader in that category (and ninth in the whole league), proving that he can be a go to power play centre as well.
A career year, both defensively and offensively, has surely proven that Nazem Kadri can be a top player on this Leafs team going forward. If he keeps these efforts up, the sky is the limit for how productive he may be.
The Perfect Role
Auston Matthews will surely be the #1 C, but in my mind there is no better choice in the entire league right now to fill that #2 C spot than Nazem Kadri. With a good contract and performance, it’s almost a perfect match.
Defensively and offensively Kadri has proven he has what it takes to be the #2 centre on the Leafs. Nobody knows what the future holds, but if it was between Kadri and Tyler Bozak, Kadri is a clear favourite for that position. Babcock loves Kadri’s play, and he has done nothing but impress management and analysts this whole season. Strong on the power play and penalty kill, Nazem Kadri is a guy you want to keep and utilize on a contending team.
The Leafs should hold onto Kadri for the rest of his contract and not think about moving him. He has worked out in Toronto so far, and his play would no doubt be useful in a Stanley Cup run for the Leafs in a few years. The plan was to develop key players through the draft. Toronto accomplished this already with Kadri, and there is no reason that he should not be seen as a key piece in the team’s blueprint for success.