Toronto Maple Leafs Should Not Trade Nazem Kadri

The Toronto Maple Leafs should not trade Nazem Kadri.

In the first round of the playoffs against the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs centre Nazem Kadri cross checked Jake DeBrusk in the head and was suspended for the rest of the first round.

It was the second such incident in a row, and it probably cost the Leafs the series.

But that being said, the Kadri is too valuable to cast aside as punishment for a couple of stupid moves.

Nazem Kadri

The Toronto Maple Leafs have the best centre depth in the NHL and Nazem Kadri is miles ahead of anyone else in the role of 3C.

The Leafs must keep this together at all costs. It allows them to use Nylander with Matthews where he is best utilized.

Whatever they can get for Kadri, has to be balanced against then using Nylander in a reduced role at third line centre, and against the problem that the player they get almost certainly won’t have the value built into his contract that Kadri does.

I think trading Kadri just creates too many holes.  William Nylander produce as the best combo in the NHL on a points per minute basis – that can’t be replicated.  The advantage Kadri gives you in matchups is insane and isn’t an advantage the Leafs should willingly give up.

In the NHL it is extremely difficult to find an edge, the Leafs have one, and they shouldn’t lose it just to punish Kadri.

It is true that the Leafs have holes and that Kadri would be a valuable asset used in filling them, however they recently acquired Jake Muzzin without giving up anything close to a player of Kadri’s value. So, why would they need to move Kadri to improve an area they’ve already proven can be upgraded with lesser assets?

It just doesn’t make any sense.

It is really unfortunate that Kadri got himself suspended for a second year in a row, but I really don’t think it’s something we have to worry about going forward.  He’s almost certainly learned his lesson, but even if he hadn’t, the sheer odds of him getting suspended in the playoffs again are astronomical.

To jettison him just because he screwed up is like the Leafs hurting themselves on purpose to make a point.  And the fact that everyone assumes the Leafs will do just that probably really hurts his trade value.

So you’d be trading a player at his lowest value to punish him for something that happened in the past and which will probably never happen again, and it would hurt your team and make the already stressed salary cap situation worse.

It’s such an easy call to keep him, as there is no benefit to trading him.