Heading into the 2010-11 NHL season there may not be a more important player for the Toronto Maple Leafs than rookie forward Nazem Kadri.
Originally drafted with in the first round of 2009 NHL entry draft (seventh overall), Kadri has impressed at the OHL and World junior levels.
Last season Kadri posted career highs in goals (35), assists (58) and points (93) as a member of the London knights. While Kadri posted solid totals and had a tremendous playoff (nine goals/18 assists for 27 points in 12 games), he was often criticized for his penchant for holding onto the puck too long and being a little overzealous to shoot the puck at times.
Over the summer Kadri put on somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 pounds of muscle to his skinny 165 pound frame, something he had to do to make it to the next level.
The next step in Kadri’s evolution was the rookie tournament, a place where many critics felt he was out-shined by the likes of Jerry D’amigo and Marcel Mueller—to name a few.
During the rookie tournament Kadri demonstrated a willingness to take the body and engage in physical play. Where he lacked was scoring prowess, but given the fa ...
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Article written by Mark Ritter
Is the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Nazem Kadri Really Ready for NHL Duty?
September 22nd, 2010 by Mark Ritter Leave a reply »
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