The Toronto Maple Leafs have a Nazem Kadri problem
For the second straight year, Nazem Kadri has put the Toronto Maple Leafs in a very dangerous situation. At what point is he going to learn?
Game 2 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins was a bloodbath. It was like a Games Of Thrones season-ending episode- pure madness, chaos, and violence all around. For the second straight year, Nazem Kadri lost his cool and the Leafs will likely be without him for an extended period of time.
During the series, Kadri and Bruins forward Jake Debrusk have been going at it pretty much nonstop. In the first period, the two exchanged pleasantries, both going off for roughing. Things boiled over when Debrusk got Kadri with a dirty knee-to-knee hit. It should have been a minor penalty and should have been reviewed for supplemental discipline.
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In the third period, after seeing Debrusk hit Patrick Marleau, Kadri cross-checked DeBrusk in the face. He got a game misconduct for it and will be getting a hearing with the Department of Player Safety for his transgression.
Last year, Kadri got suspended for three games for boarding Tommy Wingels. This year, it could be more than six because his hearing with the Department of Player Safety was offered to be an in-person hearing. For the second year in a row, Kadri has likely cost the Leafs their best chance of advancing past the first round.
Keep in mind, he isn’t a stranger to supplemental discipline. Assuming Kadri gets suspended, this will be his fifth from the Department of Player Safety. He also got suspended once by the Leafs for being late to practice. As great as Kadri can be, he often lets his emotions get the best of him.
The Leafs need him to be physical and sort of serves as their enforcer, since Toronto relies more on skill than grit. This likely contributes to Kadri’s tendency to defend his teammates. However, it doesn’t excuse him cross-checking DeBrusk in the face. He has a dangerous habit of making these kinds of hits.
At what point do the Leafs say, “enough is enough”? This is the second straight year Kadri has hurt his team with his selfish, mind-numbingly dumb decisions. Also, he narrowly missed being suspended in the 2017 postseason for his hit on Alex Ovechkin. That incident should have been a lesson for him. But it appears Kadri has yet to learn his lesson.
His contract is a bargain at $4.5 million per year. Kadri’s also signed through 2022. That’s incredible value for someone who you can pencil in for 40 points while playing a third-line role. However, Kadri’s immature decisions have, for the second straight season, likely derailed their postseason chances.
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It’s time for the Leafs to deeply consider if he should be a part of the team moving forward. Tom Wilson is proof you can clean up your act, as he’s been a terrific player for the Washington Capitals this season. Brad Marchand is another example. He’s learned when it’s OK to tiptoe the line and when it’s better to back away. So it’s certainly possible for Kadri to learn to play within the rules. He is quickly running out of chances, though.