Prime Time Pressure

Could it be more than artificial chaos if for the second straight year 7th round pick Nazim Kadri fails to impose a substancial effort in order to obtain the righteous approval from both Ron Wilson and Brian Burke himself?

To be honest i don't disagree with the hesitant nature of the Toronto Maple Leafs club in retaining the services of Nazim until he is able to put a dent in this team, but patience is running thin and time is running out for this kid. If Nazim is unable to crack the lineup this year, it will start to implicate a state of high alert, now Brain's draft pick is under developing, and the game plan will start to shift.  A game plan that includes the surrounding nature of a couple top six forwards that have been rumored to come via trade, but with Kadri's struggles in defensive play, and to see another draft pick go to waste would be uncanny, it would mean that the focus of attention would then again be on the desired attempt to draft a highly skilled individual through the draft.  One problem thought, Toronto does not have the luxury of valuable draft picks at this point.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Nazim Kardri lacing up the skates along side fellow Toronto Marlies affiliate players this season, the NHL is a 2-way game, and players that struggle to adapt to the defensive nature of the game often fail, even if a forward struggles to score goals, strong defensive awareness can keep their careers alive, and Kardri has yet to show signs of either aspects for the leafs.  Pretty shootout goals and confident gestures in the media only go so far as to obtain the status quo in a market like Toronto, here its about the results, something this city has seen very little of over the past 5 seasons of hockey.

Truth be told, many players fail in a market like this, for those who succeed, it takes great ability to not necessarily exceed expectations, but to alter ones opinions of what they expect of you, by playing true to your game and adapting to the environment that your in.  This will be a substantial learning curve for Kadri, one he will carry with him throughout his career, and we as fans wait patiently to see the uprising of Nazim to take this team to the next level.  Is he truly a Brian Burke type of player? well i certainly believe so, he is very savvy and plays with an edge which always comes in handy.  Much will depend on his learning ability, the coaching staff are working tirelessly to bring together an adaptive environment for their players, in order to implement a game plan that everyone can take part in.  That goes for Kadri and every other young player on the team to step up and accept that kind of responsibility.

Consistancy is a word thrown around a lot in sports, and in this case, is used with great intentions.  Pre-season hockey is a mere footnote of the expectations and desirable intentions of the regular season, if Nazim is going to make an impression on this team, it will have to be a lasting one, because as we all know just because our in the line-up on opening night, doesn't mean you will be in the lineup in game 2.  Because lets face it, if Sidney Crosby had troubles fighting consistency in his game, would he have become the poster boy for this great sport? a recognizable figure seen throughout the world? absolutely not, you build up the character in your game that you take fourth with you throughout your career. Faltering out of character will bring fourth a change in ones consistency and that's something that Kadri will have to improve upon before his big break comes with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"we are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it"- the game changes quickly, one can subdue to the nature of others expectations, but it comes down to the desires of that individual to really put fourth a valuable outcome.   On that note i say good luck Nazim, hope to see you in the lineup come season opener!

The Deal On Kaberle

So what exactly is the deal on Thomas Kaberle?, well this i can be certain, the functionality of the NHL free agency as it stands right now is sort of like the calm before the storm.  Things seemed to pick up once Kovalchuck was signed by the New Jersey Devils to that ridiculous contract, and to no-ones surprise, the NHL contested the contract.  But ever since then there has been an ongoing debate and even a dispute i guess you could call it, over the deciding proceeding between the NHL and the NHLPA, the phone lines have become quieter for Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs regarding the availability of Thomas Kaberle.

So now where does this leave Thomas Kaberle and the Toronto Maple Leafs?, well, the handful of teams that are interested "still" in Kovalchuck are keeping a very close look at their bank balance in terms of Cap Hit.  Can any of these teams really make a pitch for an All-star Defense man who does have a very reasonable contract, but in reality would still add a punch to the wallet?  All the rumored teams interested in the services of Thomas Kaberle were, and still are very much in on the Kovalchuck hunt, thus slowing the quality of offers being laid out over the desk of Brian Burke.  Now many sports "artists" believe that the only chance for a change of scenery that Thomas Kaberle would endure, would be that of a return investment in a top six forward.  However, my mind has led me in a different direction, i still believe that Brian Burke is looking slightly more toward the future then that of the present day.  So an investment in quality young players such as Wayne Simmonds or Luke Schenn from L.A become a very intriguing possibility.  But i'm not going to count out the very real possibility that Brian could be holding back Kaberle to entice more serious offers in order to obtain a top line forward of high degree.

Either way a return investment of either degree would certainly add a much needed punchline to the subsequent footnote of an offense that the leafs have had labeled over the past few years.  A boost that will finally put them into the playoff hunt once again, but i wouldn't label them as front runners quite yet.  The departure of several free agents and players through trade have opened up windows of opportunity for many of the leafs young and skilled players, some of which will be entering into the league for their first year.  Yes this may sound pretty exciting, but it will be a true testimate to see how the team can come together and "gel" this season.  The team has seen a pretty large overhaul and will take some time for players to get used to their new surroundings, especially those of which who have arrived in the past couple months. 

I really can't wait for this season to begin, it will be a very exciting and interesting season to watch this team come together and hopefully make a push for a comfortable playoff spot, one that doesnt come down to laying all the pressure and ambitions into the hands of the New Jersey Devils to win a shootout in the final game of the season, in order to secure a final and 8th spot.  But one things for sure, wherever Thomas Kaberle ends up, (and that is if he is even traded at all) he will make for an excellent addition to any contending team and i wish him the best!