Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri should be expected to have a good postseason for his new team.
The Colorado Avalanche have been participating in the Phase 2 of the NHL’s COVID-19 crisis response. They’ve been practicing in small groups — really, just the one group so far — at the Pepsi Center.
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These informal practices will take place for a total of about a month, until July 10. At that time, formal training camp can begin. Informal practices are voluntary. Formal training camp will not be.
After about three weeks of training camp, hockey games will start taking place again. The Avs, being solid in their playoff standings, will play a round-robin with the St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, and Vegas Golden Knights to determine seeding for the playoffs.
One player whom the Avalanche picked up, center Nazem Kadri, is expected to make an impact in the playoffs. He remained in Denver during the NHL pause, but he wasn’t in the first group that practiced.
Nonetheless, he’s bound to be gearing up for the upcoming playoffs. He has a lot to prove.
Nazem Kadri in Playoffs Past
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Prior to this season, Kadri spent his entire career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. They made the playoffs four times while he was their player. And he became infamous for one thing in particular — getting suspended. Kadri got suspended twice in those four playoff appearances.
In the 2018 playoffs, Kadri hit the Boston Bruins’ Tommy Wingels in Game 1. He was suspended for three games. The Leafs lost that first round series in seven games. In the 2019 playoffs, Kadri cross-checked the Bruins’ Jake DeBrusk in Game 2. He was suspended for the rest of the first round series, which the Leafs lost again in seven games.
So, Kadri’s first goal for this playoff season is to play them. He’s a more mature man now. And he doesn’t have a beef with the Western Conference teams. He’s unlikely to commit the same kinds of infractions.
He’d also do well, though, to up his offensive game. Across those four postseasons, Kadri played 19 games. He recorded three goals and seven assists for 10 points.
Nazem Kadri Playoff Predictions
Kadri was having a decent season with the Colorado Avalanche. Unfortunately, injuries kept taking him out of the lineup. Indeed, he was on injured reserve when the season got put on pause. In his 51 games with the team, he recorded 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points.
The team has said that everyone is healthy now, so that must include Nazem Kadri. I would expect him to be back at his #2 center position when play resumes.
He can hopefully find the playoffs mojo he hasn’t really had in years past. Hopefully going into the playoffs completely healthy and with a lot to prove to a new team will put the right kind of fire in his belly.
I expect him to be a leader on this team as one of the veteran guys.
What are your expectations for Nazem Kadri in the playoffs? Do you think the Colorado Avalanche’s faith in him will be rewarded?