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[kbooks]

Marlies’ playoff run next step in continuing education of Nazem Kadri

Dallas Eakins, the coach of the Toronto Marlies, was laughing a little at the level of the discourse in the centre of the hockey universe.

Players get typecast. Analysis is instant. Popular opinion is hard to dispel. So Nazem Kadri has played 51 NHL games at age 21, and a verdict has long been handed down.

“You’re a smart hockey person in Toronto if you can say, ‘Kadri’ and ‘turnover’ in the same sentence,” Eakins said recently in an interview.

Indeed, bar-room scouting reports aren’t detailed dossiers. But even the most encyclopedic bird dogs would acknowledge a certain beauty in brevity. Weaknesses are weaknesses, and certainly Kadri’s predilection for giveaways is one of his. It’s also one of the biggest reasons why the seventh-overall pick in the 2009 draft has spent the majority of his professional career as a minor leaguer.

So while there’s a nuanced discussion to be had about Kadri’s professional development, or lack thereof, turnovers are a good place to start. It was during a Marlies game just over a week ago, after all, that Eakins was benching Kadri for a matching pair of first-period cough-ups that gave the opposing team a couple of odd-man breaks.

“Naz has his habits,” Eakins said. “He has gotten much better at managing the puck. But he will, once in a while, fall back into his old, ‘Hey, I’m going to turn it over.’ It’s an ongoing learning process.”

Rest of Article

[Selly]

“Naz has his habits,” Eakins said. “He has gotten much better at managing the puck. But he will, once in a while, fall back into his old, ‘Hey, I’m going to turn it over.’ It’s an ongoing learning process.”

Hopefully, they can completely break him of this

[kbooks]

Lets hope Kadri has a great playoff run with the Marlies. He is their best player right now and should be the dominate player for them in the playoffs.

However it appears that Burke has made it clear that he is going to make a serious attempt to land Rick Nash in a deal. It is hard to imagine how Burke could land Nash without Kadri going back in the deal.

[**LS**]

I do not like small players that cannot make up for it with elite hockey sense or speed.

Kadri sorely lacks in both.

[kbooks]

I do not like small players that cannot make up for it with elite hockey sense or speed.

Kadri sorely lacks in both.

Ouch - thats brutal and frank. So I guess that means you don't think Kadri will or should make the leafs next year. Nice to know that you are not lining up with Cherry on this one.

[**LS**]

Lets just say I have my reservations.

I still concede that Kadri can possibly make me eat my words. I haven't liked what I saw thus far, but I am not guaranteeing he'll be a bust 100%.

Not yet, anyway.

[kbooks]

Lets just say I have my reservations.

I still concede that Kadri can possibly make me eat my words. I haven't liked what I saw thus far, but I am not guaranteeing he'll be a bust 100%.

Not yet, anyway.

Fair enough. I share some doubt about Kadri as well but it is early in his career and he is young. He might be another Zach Boychuk can't miss prospect that appears to have failed. This years playoff run with the Marlies will go a long way to determining Kadri's future in the NHL with the Leafs or some other team.

We shall see. If Kadri fails so likely will the Marlies.