In a move that can hardly be called unexpected, the Toronto Maple Leafs have chosen to send rookie forward Nazem Kadri down to the American Hockey League where he is expected to continue to develop his game with the Toronto Marlies.
Through 17 games Kadri registered six assists, but struggled to grasp the defensive side of the game, something that keeps many young forwards out of the NHL.
Originally selected seventh overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Kadri, (who struggled at rookie camp this summer), made a strong case to make the team out of training camp—especially in the later games where he caught fire.
The lingering issue was Kadri's inability to play in all zones and his penchant for giving away the puck in the neutral zone—ok, in all zones!
After a decent start to his AHL season where he scored five goals and nine assists in 14 games with the Marlies, Kadri was called up to the big club.
At the time of his promotion the Maple Leafs were marred in one of their worst slumps in recent memory.
To be honest, the move screamed of desperation on the part of Brian Burke and company ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Ritter
Toronto Maple Leafs: Nazem Kadri Sent Down To AHL
December 29th, 2010 by Mark Ritter Leave a reply »
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