Toronto Maple Leafs: Nazem Kadri’s Maturation Pays Off
Nazem Kadri has transformed himself from the Toronto Maple Leafs fans’ favorite whipping boy to a significant piece of the team’s future success.
Only a few seasons ago, many Toronto Maple Leafs fans were volunteering to drive center Nazem Kadri to the airport, in hopes he’d leave town and never return. There were no doubts the center possessed great and unique talent. However, there were concerns if he’d ever properly use it.
After being sent back to the OHL when he was drafted in 2009 and then sent down to the Toronto Marlies the following three seasons, many questioned if Kadri would ever be able to make the leap from being a scoring force in the OHL to becoming a mainstay in the NHL. Too often, fans saw a player who’d try to do too much with the puck resulting in unforgivable turnovers. Kadri’s patented move seemed to be attempting to make an extra dangle at the opposition’s blue line. This would lead to an odd-man rush quickly develop the other way as he lost possession of the puck.
Kadri constantly frustrated fans and coaches with his lack of understanding when it came to team play over individual performance. He seemed more eager to attempt a highlight-reel play than making the simple and safe plays. Kadri got sent down to the minors multiple times in hopes of understanding his mistakes. But after returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs, he’d instantly show he hadn’t learned his lesson yet.
On-ice mistakes weren’t the only issue plaguing Kadri. Questions about his attitude and commitment began after arriving late for a team meeting in November of the 2015-16 season. This led to a two-game suspension. Many thought it had nothing to do with Kadri being late. Rather, it was an attempt to send a message that it was time to grow up.
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Growing up is exactly what Kadri did. His suspension can be considered the turning point of his maturity on and off the ice. Some players might have blamed the organization for the way they handled the situation. Kadri looked in the mirror and took full responsibility for his actions. The old immature center disappeared and a new player began to surface with an understanding of what his team needed from him.
Head coach Mike Babcock appeared to take a liking to Kadri. As the 2016-17 season began, the coach named Kadri the team’s shutdown line center. Night in and night out, Kadri found himself taking faceoffs against players like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.
More times than not, the Toronto Maple Leafs center held his own against elite competition. Kadri’s most memorable moment coming when he stripped the puck from McDavid in overtime and scored the game-winning goal.
Kadri’s 2016-17 season was his best yet, setting career-highs of 32 goals and 61 points. Also, he firmly established himself as a significant piece of Toronto’s future. Not only has Kadri developed into one of the best two-way forwards in the game, he’s maintained the scoring touch he was known for in his draft year.
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At a time in the NHL when teams are quick to trade away young players with attitude issues, like the Boston Bruins trading Tyler Seguin or the Tampa Bay Lightning trading Jonathan Drouin, the Toronto Maple Leafs refused to give up on Kadri when others would have. Their patience in waiting for Kadri to mature into the player he is today continues to pay off every time he takes the ice.