If you were Leafs GM, what would you do? (Nazem Kadri)?

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Nikita G

New member
Okay so everyone knows Nazem Kadri is as slick as they come but he is also 18 years of age. He easily had one of the best goals I have seen from a young Leafs prospect. The fans love him, his teammates love him but if you were GM/coach would you send him to the OHL (london knights) to develop or would you keep him on the Leafs roster and hope that he turns out to be a gem like Luke Schenn? I'm not sure what I would do as GM in this situation.
 
Kadri will get sent down not because of his skills but, to save the Leafs money. If they wait another year to put him on the big club, then that's one more year they can keep him at a controlled salary, hopefully on a better team. Why waste a year of his indentured servitude on a season that will at best yield a first round playoff exit and at worst be just like every other year since the lockout?

As a fan of the game I say, if it looks like the kid belongs let him try. I might keep him up for a few games before sending him down just to get his juices going over next year. And I'd most likely give him some things to work on, including taking on more of a leadership role on the Knights.
 
Puckdat hit the nail on the head. Money will be the ultimate issue. I don't doubt Kadri is good enough to make the lineup, but I would send him down to develop further. However, what I would do first is stick him in the lineup for a few games at the beginning of the season. See how he reacts. There is a minimum number of games played before it counts as a year on the contract. I think its somewhere around 9, but can't remember exactly. Anyways, play Kadri for just under this amount of games, then send him down. That way, he gets some real NHL experience, then goes down to develop for next season. And it doesn't count as a year on his contract, so they are paying him a small amount for longer.
 
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