We at CBCSports.ca
will be keeping an eye on the next generation of NHL stars on Canada's
seven clubs, whether they're working on the "farm" in the AHL or honing
their game overseas, waiting for the end of the lockout.
We'll
periodically check in with these players throughout the 2012-13 season,
no matter what league they'll be lacing up their skates in. In this
edition, the Toronto Maple Leafs' Nazem Kadri.
An NHL lockout means that some of the youngsters ready to shine are
relegated to playing elsewhere. That doesn't mean they aren't growing
and developing into the stars of tomorrow.
We at CBCSports.ca
will be keeping an eye on the next generation of NHL stars on Canada's
seven clubs, whether they're working on the "farm" in the AHL or honing
their game overseas while waiting for the end of the lockout.
We'll
periodically check in with these players throughout the 2012-13 season,
no matter what league they'll be lacing up their skates in. In this
edition, the Toronto Maple Leafs' Nazem Kadri:
Nazem Kadri Age/ Birthplace: 22, London, Ont. Position: C NHL club/draft position: Toronto selected him 7th overall in 2009 NHL GP: 51 Current team: Toronto Marlies (AHL) Stats on current team: 6GP, 0G, 3A, 10 PIM (as of Oct. 30)
How he will fit in with his NHL club: That's a good question for a player in his third season in the AHL. For a team that lacks centres, Kadri should have no problem finding a home on the Leafs' roster. Instead, the talk is that new Leaf James vanRiemsdyk will shift from the wing to pivot.
That's not even the latest setback in what's been an up-and-down ride with the Maple Leafs franchise thus far for Kadri, who (up until this past June) remained as the lone 1st round pick in the system after the Leafs traded their 2010 and 2011 picks away to the Bruins.
First, he wasn't big enough. He needed time in the AHL to grow and develop and work on his defensive game. Then just before the beginning of this season, Marlies coach Dallas Eakins complained, quite publicly, the 22 year-old was too big when he arrived to training camp. Many people wondered about the statement, including Don Cherry:
"Now [Eakins] comes out and rips Kadri in the newspaper saying he doesn't eat properly. Imagine headlines saying he's chubby and fatso. If anyone wants to get a blue print on how to destroy someone, just follow the Toronto Maple Leafs."
That being said, Kadri's real talent lies in his dazzling offensive skills and a wonderful set of hands, as you will see below.
Justin PiercyOriginally from Fredericton, NB, Justin has worked in newsrooms for Astral Media Radio, Brunswick News Inc., the Toronto Star and CTV. But now he's here at CBCSports.ca to report on the sports you care about while also showing you stuff from the internet he thinks you might like.
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Toronto Maple Leafs centre Nazem Kadri has had an up-and-down few seasons with the Maple leafs, in more ways than one. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)
Justin Piercy
Originally from Fredericton, NB, Justin has worked in newsrooms for Astral Media Radio, Brunswick News Inc., the Toronto Star and CTV. But now he's here at CBCSports.ca to report on the sports you care about while also showing you stuff from the internet he thinks you might like.
