Because he’s young and like everyone has the chance to mature as a player/person. Also, I don’t believe he’s played on a team where he truly respected the veterans he’s played with and had them to help guide him in channeling his energy productively.

Perhaps not a perfect example, but E. Kane seems to be better out in SJ with a more veteran leadership group. He’s still chirping and being an agitator - but he isn’t hurting his team.

I think it’s possible for some team to pick him up under the right circumstances and channel his instincts more productively.
- Chief4Feathers

Or E-Kane has matured/grown now that he's reached age 27

Because he’s young and like everyone has the chance to mature as a player/person. Also, I don’t believe he’s played on a team where he truly respected the veterans he’s played with and had them to help guide him in channeling his energy productively.

Perhaps not a perfect example, but E. Kane seems to be better out in SJ with a more veteran leadership group. He’s still chirping and being an agitator - but he isn’t hurting his team.

I think it’s possible for some team to pick him up under the right circumstances and channel his instincts more productively.
- Chief4Feathers

He's 28, when is he considered to no longer be young? Kadri's an idiot and I hope he and "I'm afraid of my own shadow" Jake Gardiner don't end up in Chicago.

He's 28, when is he considered to no longer be young? Kadri's an idiot and I hope he and "I'm afraid of my own shadow" Jake Gardiner don't end up in Chicago.
- paulr

I’m not arguing against Kadri being a liability to his team - because he clearly is at this point. But if there ever were a player who could use a change of scenery to reset himself into being a more productive player - it’s him.

I guess I’m old enough to think that 28 is still young when it comes to acting like an adult. His age/youth doesn’t exonerate him from his past - but it does leave room for him to grow out of it.

He's 28, when is he considered to no longer be young? Kadri's an idiot and I hope he and "I'm afraid of my own shadow" Jake Gardiner don't end up in Chicago.
- paulr

I agree. He has a certain skill set, but I don't think you can fix stupid.

Nada. He continues to sit at home waiting for his contract to be bought out.

...potentially... they may just hold on to him too so that the cap hit comes off after next year instead of having a lesser hit for two more years.
- BINGO!

I don't have a Canes hat, but I have a Whaler hat and I'm wearing it.

Or E-Kane has matured/grown now that he's reached age 27
- Slofire94

Yes, it could be, and most likely is, a combination of several factors that has contributed to him being more mature as a player/person. I recall he and his wife recently experienced a personal tragedy regarding a daughter they were expecting - and as is most often the case - those kind of experiences will broaden your perspective on life and how you conduct yourself.

Their deals were 5X 6.3 AAV
- Elbows15

I know it is almost 10 years after Toews/Kane signed those bridge deals...but who was worth it more? Toews/Kane or Cat/Strome?

I know the salary cap was significantly lower then, but I still think 19 & 88 have had better careers at that point in which they signed that first deal, than what Cat/Strome have had.

Was very glad to see the Leafs and their arrogant Leaf Nation out of the playoffs . Babcock playing the same game as Q did fighting with his GM ,never ends well for the coach .
Look out for Colorado them and Washington in the final . Hope I am wrong about Washington .. Go Canes GO .. TT

I agree. He has a certain skill set, but I don't think you can fix stupid.
- hereismike1

And maybe that’s all there is to Kadri - stupid and entitled.

But I don’t think we’ll know any differently about him if he stays with the Leafs.

Crawford should be extra pissed after last nights joke! A player intentionally runs into a vulnerable goalie (and possibly shortens his career), gets next to nothing. Pavelsky involved in a hockey play, injures himself selling the play, and the player who did nothing wrong gets 5 and a game. Where did the blood come from? Pavelsky was not hit in the face, plus he ad a full face shield on. Maybe the league needs to see if the full cage was the thing that knocked Pavelsky out.
- powerenforcer

Looked like the contraption to protect his jaw may have cut part of his ear off.

Was very glad to see the Leafs and their arrogant Leaf Nation out of the playoffs . Babcock playing the same game as Q did fighting with his GM ,never ends well for the coach
- oldduffman

Difference is, Q won 3 cups and Babcock is percieved as some sort of Messiah...and has been bounced 5yrs in a row in the first round or whatever it is and doesnt deserve the same benefit Q didnt get

You obviously haven't been listening to Canadian sports talk, or reading Leafs message boards
- vabeachbear

HAHA

That was a win-win for me last night. Can't stand Boston, and can't stand Toronto.

I think he's developing a case of Sutter Mush Mouth.
- mohel

Who?

Who?
- SteveRain

Babcock during his presser last night.

Looked like the contraption to protect his jaw may have cut part of his ear off.
- riozzo

That's what I was thinking.....The way he fell head first into the ice could have caused some blood or knocked him out, but no question that contraption dug into his face as he hit the ice face first.

Oh well....don't care. Not a Vegas fan, and if ole Gary wanted Vegas to win, that wouldn't have been called...…….

Babcock during his presser last night.
- Chief4Feathers

HA.....was he sipping on his disani like he always does staring into the media?

what a clown.

Difference is, Q won 3 cups and Babcock is percieved as some sort of Messiah...and has been bounced 5yrs in a row in the first round or whatever it is and doesnt deserve the same benefit Q didnt get
- PatShart

In fairness to Babcock, he doesn't have anyone who matches up with Toews, Kane, Hossa, Keith, Seabrook and Hjalmerson. Tavares and Matthews aren't in Toews league as a heart and soul leader. The Leafs have no one who can do what Hossa did for the Hawks. The Leafs don't have one defenseman who approaches Keith, Seabrook and Hjalmerson and while Marner is a better two way player he is no Kane.

Yes Babcock deserves some blame, not getting Kadri under control, Not utilizing his best talent more, etc but I'm don't think Quenneville would have had much success with the current Leaf lineup.

Was very glad to see the Leafs and their arrogant Leaf Nation out of the playoffs . Babcock playing the same game as Q did fighting with his GM ,never ends well for the coach .
Look out for Colorado them and Washington in the final . Hope I am wrong about Washington .. Go Canes GO .. TT
- oldduffman

Always some link or comparison to Q. There isn't one, Babcock never made the adjustment or changes to get his team over the hump this year or last. His players don't care much for his " I'm the smartest guy in the room approach".

Always some link or comparison to Q. There isn't one, Babcock never made the adjustment or changes to get his team over the hump this year or last. His players don't care much for his " I'm the smartest guy in the room approach".
- RickJ

He does have quite the ego doesn't he? Loves getting the Pierre LeBrun's of the world to eat up every second of it.

As Tyler's blog discussed, your team needs to have the best 3rd and 4th line in each series to win. A corollary would be the team with the best 3rd and 4th line of all teams in the tourney is a favorite to win the Cup.

So for the Blackhawks to be a contender again, the bottom 6 needs to be strengthened. Words like relentless, gritty, physical, bum slaying, and agitating come to mind.

Current players like Caggiula and Kampf help but are only 2 of 6 players needed. Add a player like Tanev or Sissons and that could be a killer 4th line.

As for the 3rd line, I'm thinking along the lines of 2015 when the Hawks fielded Vermette centering Sharp and Teravainen in the playoffs. Just an example using current players:

Vermette = Anisimov
Sharp = Saad
Teravainen = Sikura

A pivotal question is whether Anisimov is the right choice or could he be upgraded.
- AEL_Fox

To a degree yes, but going into the playoffs, would anyone say that CBJ had a better 3rd and 4th line than Tampa? It's not like Tampa hasn't had playoff success in the recent past. True, they have not won a cup, but they have been in one and progressed far in other years.

To your other points, I'm personally of the mind that it matters more about how the 4th line players "buy-in" to their role on the team than the actual players on that line. I look at it from two viewpoints:

1) Guys like Eager, Fraser, Kopecky, Kruger, etc are not really good players when you look at them singularly. Put them on a line with two other guys with clear purpose and they become very effective.

2) Most of us are very happy with Drake, but he was lost in EDM. I can't remember if it was his end of season interview, or maybe before that, but he said that when he got here, he was told to just play strong on the puck and work with the guys on your line. In EDM it was more of trying to find where he fit.

Difference is, Q won 3 cups and Babcock is percieved as some sort of Messiah...and has been bounced 5yrs in a row in the first round or whatever it is and doesnt deserve the same benefit Q didnt get
- PatShart

Well Q get's a lot of love for those 3 cups ,and deservingly so . I have no prof but I do believe Scotty who got Q his job was pulling some strings during those runs . Q should have been shown the door after his hissy fit at the Draft ,or at least this past summer . Q was given plenty of rope, and he hung himself with his inflated ego .

In fairness to Babcock, he doesn't have anyone who matches up with Toews, Kane, Hossa, Keith, Seabrook and Hjalmerson. Tavares and Matthews aren't in Toews league as a heart and soul leader. The Leafs have no one who can do what Hossa did for the Hawks. The Leafs don't have one defenseman who approaches Keith, Seabrook and Hjalmerson and while Marner is a better two way player he is no Kane.

Yes Babcock deserves some blame, not getting Kadri under control, Not utilizing his best talent more, etc but I'm don't think Quenneville would have had much success with the current Leaf lineup.
- paulr

He took Anaheim on a nice run until he ran into New Jersey....that run got him the job in Detroit where he inherited a pretty stacked team and won a cup and lost in final to Pittsburgh.

He has lost 5 straight 1st round matchups since Seabrook sent him packing in 2013....

I just think he's vastly overrated for all the praise he gets.

Q never won with some stacked STL teams either, but he did win here.....

I do feel from the outside he's protected by a lot of the Canadian media and perceived as some zen like coaching figure. Guy was given team Canada, where you could argue Q was probably more deserving...…….

Well Q get's a lot of love for those 3 cups ,and deservingly so . I have no prof but I do believe Scotty who got Q his job was pulling some strings during those runs . Q should have been shown the door after his hissy fit at the Draft ,or at least this past summer . Q was given plenty of rope, and he hung himself with his inflated ego .
- oldduffman

Well in fairness couldn't you wonder if Bowman SR was helping Babcock out in Detroit during their last run of cup appearances?

Also, lets be honest......those trade(s) on draft day that Q had "his hissy fit" didn't work out so well for the Hawks.

Saad is 3rd line player, and Forsberg wont' be in the organization much longer. Meanwhile Panarin is a legit star.

Hammer is the type of defenseman this team is missing, while Murphy is...….well what is Murphy exactly?

He took Anaheim on a nice run until he ran into New Jersey....that run got him the job in Detroit where he inherited a pretty stacked team and won a cup and lost in final to Pittsburgh.

He has lost 5 straight 1st round matchups since Seabrook sent him packing in 2013....

I just think he's vastly overrated for all the praise he gets.

Q never won with some stacked STL teams either, but he did win here.....

I do feel from the outside he's protected by a lot of the Canadian media and perceived as some zen like coaching figure. Guy was given team Canada, where you could argue Q was probably more deserving...…….
- SteveRain

Was Q already an American citizen by then?

Priceless: