By definition, anything involving the Maple Leafs is going to be a big deal. Acquiring Olli Jokinen via throw-in merits a full day of coverage.
So, its only natural that the decision to suspend their best center, Nazem Kadri, for two games Bradley McDougald Jerseys gets the blow-out treatment. President Brendan Shanahan announced that on Wednesday morning; Kadri had also been . From the outside, it seems like the right decision. It also shouldn't be that big a deal. Shanahan has a rebuild to oversee, and Kadri should be a big part of it.
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There's a history here, Shanahan said before Torontos game against the Sabres. Incidents like this won't be tolerated."
"We need this to be a real learning moment ... Its really how (Kadri) responds to it thats important to us"
Any discu sion about Kadri, now and moving forward, has to consider the fact that hes 24 years old and already very good. His numbers, at minimum, are that of a top Tennessee Titans Jerseys -notch second center, and theres reason to believe hell outgrow that label.
This season, hes got 36 points (16G, 20A), and all but two of them came at 5-on-5. That rate 1.79 points per 60 minutes of play is second on the Leafs overall and 59th league-wide among Khari Blasingame Jerseys centers with at least 40 games played.
Its also worth noting that efficient 5-on-5 point production isnt a new thing for Kadri; hes at 2.02/60 in the last four years, which is 54th in the league. Also, guys like that tend to be power-play fixtures, which he certainly is not.
Factor in his most frequent linemates (guys like Daniel Winnik and Mike Santorelli, rather than Phil Ke sel or James van Riemsdyk), his usage (a fair amount of defensive zone starts against decent competition), and the fact that he drives po se sion better than any of Torontos other regular regular forwards (Toronto takes 49.9 percent of Mekhi Sargent Jerseys all 5-on-5 shot attempts with him on the ice), and its easy to see that the Leafs have a very good player on their hands.(Stats via and .)
"A good guy and a good teammate. Everyone in here likes him, Joffrey Lupul said. (Hes) probably one of our best, most consistent players this year.
Thing is, its po sible to be all those things and still do dumb, concern-inducing stuff. You can be a good player while youre growing up. Shanahan, it should go without saying, is Anthony Rush Jerseys a smart man, and publicly calling out Kadri like this seems more of an attempt at a wake-up call than anything else.
Theres no way the Leafs front office, as currently constituted, doesnt realize that they have a good one on their hands. Like everyone else, theyve seen the Tyler Seguin deal blow up in Bostons face, and the Evander Kane trade carries that same po sibility for Winnipeg.
Broadcasting disciplinary i sues, minor as they may be, dont do much for trade value. So, lets say the way Toronto reacted on Wednesday supportive, but unmistakably disapproving is angled toward improving Kadri for their own sake. You can certainly bet that itll be a negotiation point Derrick Henry T Shirts when he becomes and RFA over the summer. That cant hurt.
"There comes a point in the careers of many hockey players, similar situations, but there comes a point where you gotta grow up, Shanahan said. This is not something that we felt would benefit him if we swept it under the rug.
So they called him on the carpet. Better now than later.
