After an offseason filled with lots of fitness and a meal plan that added nearly 15 pounds of muscle to his smallish frame, Nazem Kadri probably felt that he had as good a chance as anyone to make the Toronto Maple Leafs roster heading into training camp.
A subpar rookie camp, followed by a questionable preseason which saw the young centre criticized for his play away from the puck led to Kadri’s demotion to the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate, Toronto Marlies, where it was felt the talented, offensive-minded youngster could learn the defensive nuances needed for him to be successful in the NHL.
While it’s still early in the season, Kadri looks to be struggling again and, as such, he is paying the price—again!
In only his first game as a member of the 2010-11 addition of the Marlies, Kadri once again struggled defensively, leading head coach Dallas Eakins to bench the defensively-challenged youngster in the early goings.
For Kadri, it was yet another tough reminder that in order to play professional hockey at the AHL or NHL level he will have to learn to play away from the puck.
With so many eyes on Kadri and with the Maple Leafs looki ...
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Article written by Mark Ritter
Nazem Kadri: Young Toronto Maple Leaf Prospect Learning The Hard Way
October 12th, 2010 by Mark Ritter Leave a reply »
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