LEAFS NEED KADRI TO BE AT HIS ‘NASTY’ BEST
He’s both amazed and confounded the Maple Leafs through the years, been a pain in the butt to foes and also his own worst enemy.
But approaching his 500th NHL game on Monday with Auston Matthews likely out at least a couple of weeks, Nazem Kadri, 28, is needed more than ever by the Maple Leafs. The club is expected to get confirmation before Monday’s home game against Calgary that Matthews’ shoulder injury will require them to lean on their remaining centres.
Not a problem for John Tavares, the former captain of the Islanders, who has been the go-to guy much of his career. But Kadri, valued as a shutdown centre and for offence, will have to rekindle the previous chemistry with last season’s linemates Mitch Marner and Patrick Marleau.
The Leafs are now missing two-thirds of last year’s top unit, minus Matthews and holdout William Nylander.
“We’ve dealt with Willy all year, but Matts going down is a big part of our team,” said Kadri, who triggered Saturday’s threegoal comeback win against the Jets with his second goal in as many games.
“With the depth we have, everyone can contribute so it doesn’t necessarily fall on one person’s shoulders. We’ve normally been good at that.
“We play the right way with good structure and effort, then lots of times you’ll get rewarded. We have good players, a great goaltender. We have to stay with it.”
Coach Mike Babcock has seen a more polished Kadri, drafted by the Leafs seventh overall in 2009. “He’s an important player, with and without the puck, and for his ability to be nasty,” Babcock said. “I don’t think anyone on our team ever questioned that. Sometimes it doesn’t go the way you want (a nine-game scoring drought to start the schedule), but you have to battle back from that and he has.”
For now, Babcock has taken Par Lindholm off the wing and returned him to third-line centre, between Andreas Johnsson (freed from press box purgatory), and Connor Brown. A Marlie call-up for insurance will be confirmed Monday after Matthews is checked. “(Johnsson) has to play heavy,” insisted the coach. “When he has the puck, where does it end up? That whole line, that’s the challenge for all of them.
“You have to find a way to have the puck and play in the offensive zone.
“Par has been very effective, very intelligent. He’ll only get better as he understands the league better.”
Babcock, Marner and Tavares reported Matthews was in good spirits Sunday morning after a hit from Winnipeg defenceman Jacob Trouba sent him to the bench.
“You’re frustrated the next day, still in a little bit of a whirlwind,” Tavares said, in empathy. “(An injury) gets you out of your normal routine, but I think he was feeling better than expected today. It seems pretty positive and hopefully it’s not too long.” Kadri reaches his 500th game two days after a fellow career Leaf, Jake Gardiner, hit the milestone.
“It has been quite the journey to represent the team for this long,” Kadri said. “There have been a few (coaches) come and go and every single one of them has had an impact in my development and career path.” In Kadri’s first NHL game, an emergency call-up Feb. 8, 2010, at home against San Jose, he was schooled by Jumbo Joe Thornton on a faceoff that saw his stick go flying.
“He nearly snapped my wrists. It was a good wake-up call.” Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf then spied Kadri with his shirt off in the dressing room and was not impressed.
“He couldn’t believe how skinny I was, how I was playing an NHL game with that physique,” said Kadri, laughing. “Times have certainly changed. Now you’re trying to keep weight off.” Five hundred starts with the same team is significant, too. “That’s pretty hard to do these days with guys wandering around,” Kadri said. “I’m just privileged I got the opportunity, that the fans and the city embraced me and stuck with me through the hard times. You never want to be a disappointment.”