A twine time for Kadri to get going
Regardless of the lines, Leafs need centre to chip in goals
TORONTO — Nazem Kadri has the kind of personality and NHL experience that can take a goal slump and turn it into a lesson on NHL survival that should be bound and printed for younger players.
Entering Wednesday night’s game against the tough and talented Winnipeg Jets, Kadri’s scoring line is mostly blank: nine games, no goals, and four assists.
And, oh yeah, there’s three hit goalposts.
The posts matter, to a certain degree.
Not because a half inch inside and the puck goes into the net. They are indicative of a changing hockey landscape for Kadri.
He’s not playing with what would be his normal cast on the third line. And, he’s on that third line, because the Leafs’ depth at centre is that steep, thanks to Auston Matthews and John Tavares.
So, Kadri’s line marks an adjustment for him. His wingers are Connor Brown and Par Lindholm. Brown, with his work ethic, speed, and pedigree with forechecking and the cycling game, was planned.
Lindholm was not.
Leafs coach Mike Babcock had every intention of starting the season with Lindholm as his fourth-line centre, and leaving him there. Kasperi Kapanen was targeted as the other winger on Kadri’s line.
Kapanen’s role has now changed: he’s up on the Matthews line while William Nylander sits through a contract impasse with the team. Nylander’s absence has had a trickle effect on the makeup of the lines. And the Leafs, for all their talent and firepower, have had to tether Kadri to a line they weren’t planning on, and hope for a minimum level of consequences.
But the consequences are there, so far. Kadri is not yet in the role of shutdown centre, the one that really reflected his niche as a quality centre in the NHL, and the result is what fans are seeing so far — no goals, a fall off in ice time, and a general sense that adjustments will be an ongoing thing with the third and fourth lines.
“That wasn’t the plan,” Babcock said about Lindholm being the winger on Kadri’s line.
“But he’s intelligent (Lindholm), he makes good plays on the back end, he works hard, you can play him in all situations.”
Regardless of the lines, Kadri knows it’s about time he turns on the red lamp.
But he’s not alone in that category. When the Leafs meet the Jets Wednesday, they’ll see Nik Ehlers in a slump that makes Kadri’s look paltry — 26 games, including regular season and playoff games, dating back to last season.
Even Sidney Crosby has registered no goals and five assists in his first six games.
For Kadri, there’s a built-in experience factor to handle the daily pressure of facing the scoresheet, and being asked about it. He’s been with the Leafs for 10 years and goal slumps, along with a host of other challenges, have cemented a positive perspective on how to approach solutions to them.
But this time, Kadri — if he’s off to a slow start on anything — it’s with making adjustments to the changing scenery with his lines and role.
It’s something of a new territory for him, but not something to panic about.
“I feel like its different,” Kadri said about his role and the makeup of the lines.
“And I do have to adjust accordingly. (Babcock’s) plan was to get to the (shutdown) role … he’s still finding ways to get me some minutes, and maybe me being more consistent on the power play would help, but at the end of the day, I’m confident the goals will come.”
Kadri’s ice time has indeed dropped by almost a minute — he’s averaging 15:58 per game so far, off from his career average of 16:56.
He also had Mitch Marner on his wing over the final 37 games of the season last year.
In the meantime, Kadri, like the rest of the Leafs, have to figure out the playoff-like checking approach teams have been taking against them, even at this early juncture of the season.
In losses to Pittsburgh and St. Louis, Toronto’s high-octane offence faced constant neutral zone clogging. It’s something the Leafs must get used to, now that opponents have scouted their success.
“Everyone comes into Toronto ready to play,” Kadri said. “The Leafs are the national broadcast game, a lot of guys are from this area too. So it’s under a microscope and everyone wants to do well.
“And I’m sure they’re sick of hearing the Leafs, everyone talking about us, but we know we’re going to get a lot of that.”