Colorado Avalanche: Pre-Hockey Hiatus Look at Nazem Kadri
The Colorado Avalanche got the gritty second-line center they needed when they traded for Nazem Kadri.
The Colorado Avalanche are about 48 days into their hockey hiatus per the NHL’s pause. Their self-isolation with families is supposed to end on April 30. There’s even been talk of players potentially returning for informal practices, though it’s all up in the air.
Here in Colorado, safer at home is just starting to be implemented. For better or for worse, we’re starting to see things open up.
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Meanwhile, we’re going to keep looking at how players were doing before the NHL put the season on pause. Here’s some of the players we’ve looked at:
Today, we’re starting to look at some of the top-six skaters. Let’s see how center Nazem Kadri was doing before the NHL put the season on pause.
Brief History of Nazem Kadri
The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Nazem Kadri seventh-overall in 2009. Kadri grew up near there — in London, Ontario. He had been playing for the Kitchener Rangers, but he was traded to the London Knights his draft year.
Kadri signed his professional contract that summer. However, after playing one NHL game, he returned to play one more season in the major juniors.
For the next three season, Kadri bounced between the Maple Leafs and their AHL affiliates, the Marlies. Finally, in the 2013-14 season, he stayed with the NHL club. He played that season and five more as a full time member of the Leafs.
Kadri has become somewhat infamous because of suspensions. The Leafs suspended him three-game in the 2014-15 season for showing up late to practice. He later received a four-game suspension for an illegal check to the head. (Three games for being late seems a little excessive.)
He next received a fine the following season and another suspension that ended his regular season. He then got suspended two playoffs in a row — 2018 and 2019.
The Leafs traded Kadri to the Avalanche last summer. He’s signed for two more seasons after this one.
Nazem Kadri Stats with the Colorado Avalanche
Nazem Kadri has played 612 NHL games, the vast majority of them with the Leafs — 561 games. Naturally, most of his goals (161), assists (196) and total points (357).
In his first season with the Colorado Avalanche, Kadri has been somewhat hampered by injuries. He’s played just 51 of the 70 games. What’s more, he was on injured reserve when the season went on pause.
Nonetheless, Kadri has had a decent season with Colorado. He’s earned 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points.
Evaluation of Nazem Kadri with the Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche needed a second line center and someone with grit. They got exactly that in Nazem Kadri. His points production might be a smidge disappointing, but I feel that’s mostly due to his injury woes this season.
I think he’s an interesting fit with the team. He’s not as happy-go-lucky as many of the players, nor is he the same kind of intense as Nathan MacKinnon. He’s more of a serious kind of guy. But it’s good to have all kinds of personalities in a dressing room, and he’s a good leader for the young players.
His suspension issues? Not our problem. He hasn’t come anywhere near making a suspension-worthy play, so I don’t care. I also firmly believe he wasn’t going to do anything to hurt the Avs in this year’s playoffs. Maybe the buzz throughout Toronto got to his head — Colorado is about as polar opposite you can get in that intensity.
The Colorado Avalanche have shown all season that they finally have the pieces in place to make a deep playoff run. Nazem Kadri is one of the key pieces.