Welcome to the Hotstove! As always, I'm your host, Travis Yost.
Toronto F Nazem Kadri has been a regular name on the trade block in the early years of his career, but thanks largely to his performance over the last twelve to eighteen months, those rumors have mostly subsided.
Well, until now. The NY Post's Larry Brooks had an interesting note about Kadri, one that was just sort of just thrown into the middle of his column:
... Boy oh boy, would the Maple Leafs love to find a taker for Nazem Kadri.
That's basically it. Brooks didn't expand on the point any further, so all we have is a talented kid's name once again surfacing in potential trade scenarios.
I'm not sure if Brooks' story has or will be corroborated by another media type, but I find it interesting that this tidbit was just floated into the NY Post at this particular time. The return of Tyler Bozak from injury, along with the constant discussion about a long-term extension for center Dave Bolland, is it possible Dave Nonis, et al. could move away from Kadri in favor of the aforementioned?
That's the part I have a hard time accepting, I think. Bozak's not an ideal first-line center, and Bolland's really a third-line guy. So, if Nazem Kadri were made available and traded to a team, I suspect the right package would have to include a center on the way back -- at least one, anyway.
Toronto's grossly thin down the middle of the lineup already, and cutting away from Kadri seems like suicide. But, if Kadri can be moved as part of a package for an upgrade at the center position -- well, that's something I see as much more likely.
The Q: If you're Toronto, would you consider moving Nazem Kadri right now, all things considered? What kind of player(s) would the return have to be to move the twenty-three year-old?
Thanks for reading!