| 05 January 2012
In a Maple Leafs season that's been plagued by injuries, a call up from the Marlies has seemed like a weekly occurence. So with that the case, what took so long to bring up Nazem Kadri? Speculation has swirled but the real reason came straight from GM Brian Burke, "We want his next call up to be his last." So when the Leafs finally did recall Kadri prior to their December 22nd game vs Buffalo the discussion began as to just what we would see from the London, Ontario native. After all, most players don’t receive the speculation and critical analysis in a full career that Kadri's seen at the age of 21. The moment Nazem Kadri's name left Brian Burke's mouth at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft the second guessing begun. And it hasn’t stopped since. Joining Luke Schenn as the only players taken in the top 10 by Toronto since 1998 there was never any doubt the pressure that would be thrust upon Kadri, but the Leafs top prospect has become somewhat of a polarizing figure in Toronto.
After putting up 78 points in 56 games with his hometown London Knights of the OHL in 2008-09, Kadri seemed to be a good fit for a Toronto team that was not only in the midst of a rebuild, but also one that struggled mightily putting the puck in the net. The optimism grew when he scored 3 goals and added 2 assists in the following NHL preseason, but was sent back to Junior for another year of conditioning. In that season he put up 93 points in 56 games and added 27 in 12 playoff games. The scoring touch was certainly there, but whether or not he could bring that game to the NHL amidst criticism of his small frame and offensive mindset was the big question mark heading into the 2010-11 season. Things began to spiral downwards for Kadri in that campaign, where after going goalless in 17 games he was sent down to the Marlies just after Christmas. While with the Leafs AHL affiliate he notched 41 points in 44 games but for every person pointing out his nearly point a game pace there were 3 pointing out his lack of defensive awareness and propensity to turn over the puck at the worst possible times. He was recalled in mid-march to play out the remaining 12 games of the Leafs schedule and fared a little better, scoring his first NHL goal, along with two others and finished the year with 3 goals and 9 points with a -3 plus/minus rating. Kadri’s critics suggested he was still much too fragile to play in the NHL and rumours swirled all summer about the youngster being dealt, most notably linking him and Nikolai Kulemin in a deal for Mike Richards that was ultimately beat out by LA’s offer of Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and a 2nd round pick. Regardless, Kadri seemed determined to work on his game and arguably more importantly his frame, putting on nearly 20 pounds over the summer and heading into training camp ready for a breakout season in 2011-12.
Due to the Leafs injury problems as alluded to earlier, Kadri was able to start the season in the NHL. As feared, Kadri looked more like his former self, turning the puck over frequently and not being an offensive threat, unlike the new and improved Kadri “Leafs Nation” was hoping to see. After being sent down and recalled a day later in mid October Kadri suffered a torn ligament in his knee and was sent down yet again after playing just three games in a Leafs uniform. Tension around Kadri continued to grow in Toronto, with many calling for a trade. So the AHL project begun yet again. Something seemed to finally click this time though, as Nazem earned AHL player of the month honors in November after tallying 6 goals and 17 points in 12 games. His fine play didn’t warrant a call up though, as Leafs management felt he still had a lot to work on. Kadri would see fellow Marlies forwards Matt Frattin, Joe Colborne, Darryl Boyce and Joey Crabb called up before he was, despite that hot November. As the injuries continued to pile up fans and media alike questioned the decision not to bring up Kadri but Brian Burke and Ron Wilson remained adamant that Kadri had to work on turnovers at the blue line, a better defensive commitment and to harness his creativity. Under the tutelage of Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins Nazem was finally able to shore up his game enough to get the call on December 21stand after 22 games played with 22 points in the AHL, he got yet another kick at the can. Since then he has certainly shown at least hints of the potential the Leafs have been craving in their lineup for some time now. Kadri scored the game winning goal in his first game the next night against Buffalo and even Ron Wilson was quick to praise the youngster. "He made plays," said Wilson. "He was good along the wall in our zone and that's what he has to do. He sees the ice and skates. He's got confidence and distributes the puck really well." Kadri gave a little more insight into how the coach felt about his play. “He's been pretty supportive and kind of giving me the encouragement to play with the puck," Kadri said. "I think he knows that I've learned how to recognize danger and when to try and make a play and when not to. After I scored that goal, he just came up to me and he told me 'Don't change a thing. You're playing great.” Quite a change of tune from previous stints with the blue and white. It’s now been 6 games since being recalled and that trend has continued. He’s matched his goal total from last season with 3 and added an assist, but the most telling stat may just be his +5 rating, something that has suffered in the past. He’s bounced between the 2nd and 3rd lines, mixing in some powerplay time as well.
The Leafs are going to have some major decisions to make in the near future with Colby Armstrong, Mike Brown and Tyler Bozak set to return to the lineup very soon. Brian Burke has already placed Pascal Dupuis and Colton Orr on waivers, both of them clearing and being sent to the Marlies. Once those three key players return the lineup it will be very interesting to see who else will be sent down. One thing is for sure though, if Brian Burke wanted Nazem Kadri’s next call up to be his last he’s certainly making a case for himself and deserves some time to prove that the Kadri we’ve all been waiting for may have finally arrived.
RJ McCullough
