Is Nazem Kadri Suspension Best For Him? (VIDEO)

Nazem Kadri hasn’t put himself in the best positions recently.  All of this negative attention might be exactly what he needs.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have experienced another season flying off the rails in terms of both points and off-ice news.  Nazem Kadri is responsible for the latter in recent days, first with a team suspension of three games for “over-sleeping” and now a four-game ban for delivering this elbow to the head of Edmonton Oilers winger Matt Fraser:

At the end of his league suspension Kadri will have played in two of the Maple Leafs last nine games.  That’s a lot of time on the exercise bike thinking about your week.  Or your season or even your career to this point.  Success hasn’t been plentiful for the Maple Leafs since the 24-year old center has been with the team.

It’s not that Nazem Kadri hasn’t produced at a reasonable pace.  Since arriving in Toronto full-time to start the 2012-13 season Kadri has scored 54 goals and totaled 130 points in his 192 games.  Toronto is a different animal than the rest of the league and, on top of that,  some would argue that production isn’t good enough for the 7th overall pick in 2009.  Comparing him to other recent 7th overall picks burns the spotlight that much brighter.

It’s possible this suspension taking place so close to his team-imposed ban is good long-term for Nazem Kadri.  Head coach Peter Horachek certainly thinks so:

"“It’s good for him, good lessons he’s going through,” Horachek said. “He’s facing some adversity and he’s dealing with it . . . and there’s the idea here that it makes him stronger, so he can tell the next person who comes along (this path) his experiences. That leadership is part of it. I don’t think he’s a dirty player, I think he needs to play with a hard edge and finish his checks. (Fraser) was in a vulnerable position, and these things happen.” www.thestar.com"

You can draw a comparison to another twenty-something forward that is productive on the ice and had questions off it.  Evander Kane was the 4th overall pick in the same draft as Nazem Kadri, and while Kane has had the more productive career to this point the parallels are certainly there, including Department of Player Safety suspensions.  Both have had different issues that can be argued aren’t as serious as were made to be, but the Winnipeg Jets made their choice with Kane.  Would the Maple Leafs consider a similar path for Kadri?

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Eyes On Isles

First and second line centers are rarely made available by trade, which makes the rebuild in Toronto very interesting as Nazem Kadri has been playing that role and can do it for other teams.  This time off allows Kadri to reflect on his game and his time as a Maple Leaf.  Toronto will need to decide on Kadri and his future soon given his restricted free agent status.

When Nazem Kadri returns to the ice expect to see the same player he was before, but wiser.  Time to reflect is important in learning lessons and Kadri has learned a few of them recently.  This opportunity for growth as a professional will benefit him during the rest of this season in Toronto and beyond, wherever his career continues.

With the Maple Leafs controlling the cards and committed to rebuilding over the long-term, Kadri might apply those lessons learned elsewhere.  Players like Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel have been subjects of trade rumors and at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Kadri may find himself among them.  The unpredictable nature of the Maple Leafs offseason further clouds his future in Toronto.  If the goal is to rebuild with young talent, the Maple Leafs wouldn’t consider trading away a young talent in Nazem Kadri without a quality return.  His will be one more story to follow as the draft approaches.

Next: Does 3-on-3 Overtime Make Better Hockey?

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