After scoring nearly a point-per-game during the lockout-shortened season and a career-high 20 goals in 2014, center Nazem Kadri did not show the improvements on and off the ice that the Toronto Maple Leafs had hoped for last season and that was reflected in not getting a long-term contract extension.
The 2009 first rounder turns 25 just prior to the start of his sixth season with Toronto and spent the off-season getting physically and mentally ready for what he hopes will be a career year.
"There was no playing around this summer, it was right to work," Kadri said to Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun . "I was just trying to improve on my weaknesses. I want to continue to start doing that, becoming more professional and kind of handling myself the right away. There have been ups and downs and that's just how it is."
Kadri is getting another fresh start with new head coach Mike Babcock and could take over from Tyler Bozak as the club's top line center based on how he performs in training camp, but with change in the air in Toronto, another year of unfulfilled promise could lead to playing elsewhere and not being part of the Leafs future.
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The Toronto Marlies will be attracting a lot more attention over the next few seasons, as the parent Toronto Maple Leafs appear intent on giving their top prospects the time to properly develop in the American Hockey League.
2014 first rounders William Nylander and Kasperi Kapanen, AHL rookie scoring leader Connor Brown and other Leafs prospects will be led by new head coach Sheldon Keefe and the club will begin their season on Friday, October 9th against the Manitoba Moose at Ricoh Coliseum.
Here is the entire Marlies 2015-16 Regular Season schedule:
Day Date Time Opponent Fri 10/9/15 7:00 PM Manitoba Sat 10/10/15 3:00 PM Manitoba Sat 10/17/15 3:00 PM Albany Sun 10/18/15 3:00 PM Albany Fri 10/23/15 7:05 PM @ Rochester Sat 10/24/15 7:05 PM @ Binghamton Sun 10/25/15 5:05 PM @ Lehigh Valley Wed 10/28/15 7:00 PM Syracuse Fri 10/30/15 7:00 PM Grand Rapids Sun 11/1/15 3:00 PM @ Albany Wed 11/4/15 11:00 AM @ Hartford Fri 11/6/15 7:00 PM @ Utica Sat 11/7/15 7:05 PM @ Binghamton Fri 11/13/15 7:30 PM @ St. John’s Sat 11/14/15 7:30 PM @ St. John’s Wed 11/18/15 7:05 PM @ Rochester Sat 11/21/15 5:00 PM Rochester Sun 11/22/15 3:00 PM Binghamton Fri 11/27/15 7:00 PM @ Syracuse Sat 11/28/15 2:00 PM St. John’s (ACC) Sun 11/29/15 1:00 PM St. John’s Fri 12/4/15 7:05 PM @ Rochester Sat 12/5/15 5:00 PM Manitoba Sun 12/6/15 3:00 PM Manitoba Fri 12/11/15 7:00 PM @ Utica Sat 12/12/15 7:00 PM @ Syracuse Sun 12/13/15 3:00 PM Utica Wed 12/16/15 7:05 PM @ Binghamton Fri 12/18/15 7:05 PM @ W-B/Scranton Sat 12/19/15 7:00 PM @ Hershey Sat 12/26/15 3:00 PM St. John’s (ACC) Sun 12/27/15 3:00 PM St. John’s Tue 12/29/15 7:00 PM @ Lake Erie Thu 12/31/15 3:00 PM Lake Erie Sat 1/2/16 3:00 PM Syracuse Sun 1/3/16 3:00 PM Syracuse Fri 1/8/16 7:00 PM @ Manitoba Sat 1/9/16 7:00 PM @ Manitoba Wed 1/13/16 7:00 PM @ Utica Sat 1/16/16 7:30 PM @ St. John’s Sun 1/17/16 4:00 PM @ St. John’s Wed 1/20/16 7:00 PM Syracuse Sat 1/23/16 3:00 PM Utica Sun 1/24/16 3:00 PM Utica Wed 1/27/16 11:00 AM @ Grand Rapids Fri 1/29/16 7:00 PM @ Grand Rapids Sat 1/30/16 5:00 PM Binghamton Thu 2/4/16 7:00 PM @ Manitoba Sat 2/6/16 2:00 PM @ Manitoba Sat 2/13/16 7:30 PM @ St. John’s Sun 2/14/16 4:00 PM @ St. John’s Fri 2/19/16 7:00 PM W-B/Scranton Sat 2/20/16 2:00 PM Portland (ACC) Wed 2/24/16 11:00 AM Binghamton Fri 2/26/16 7:00 PM Hershey Sat 2/27/16 3:00 PM Rochester Tue 3/1/16 11:00 AM Albany Fri 3/4/16 7:00 PM @ Utica Sat 3/5/16 7:35 PM @ Rochester Sun 3/6/16 3:00 PM Utica Fri 3/11/16 7:00 PM @ Portland Sat 3/12/16 7:05 PM @ Providence Sun 3/13/16 3:00 PM @ Albany Fri 3/18/16 7:00 PM Lehigh Valley Sat 3/19/16 3:00 PM Providence Sun 3/20/16 3:00 PM @ Lake Erie Sat 3/26/16 2:00 PM St. John’s (ACC) Tue 3/29/16 7:00 PM St. John’s Fri 4/1/16 7:00 PM @ Syracuse Sat 4/2/16 5:00 PM Grand Rapids Fri 4/8/16 7:00 PM Lake Erie Sat 4/9/16 7:00 PM @ Syracuse Sun 4/10/16 3:00 PM @ Albany Wed 4/13/16 11:00 AM Hartford Sat 4/16/16 5:00 PM Rochester Sun 4/17/16 3:00 PM Rochester
Connor McDavid setting up #Leafs Mitch Marner for some action shots at #NHLPARookieShowcase pic.twitter.com/V53rMNB7Il
— Matt Brown (@brown__matt) September 1, 2015*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.*******
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