Nazem Kadri slipped quietly into the building on the first day of training camp for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He completed his physical testing and had a series of photos taken. He spent time on the ice for some promotional video shoots, grabbed a quick bite with teammates and then went merrily on his way without encountering a single tape recorder.
For so long, it seems, that would never have been possible.
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Stories out of NHL camps inevitably take on a flavour of the week feeling and Kadri has been a can’t-miss tale in these parts since his draft day. What makes his (brief) dip below the radar so interesting now is that it comes at the outset of a season that is even more important than the ones that came before it.
By the end of this year general manager Dave Nonis must decide exactly what he has in the centre.
Kadri is entering the final season of his contract and, while he’ll still be a restricted free agent afterwards, the Leafs will have to strongly consider buying unrestricted years in the next deal. That means big dollars and a big commitment. Basically you can expect the player to seek the long-term contract he couldn’t get from the organization a year ago.
It looms as the next major personnel decision for the organization — albeit one that doesn’t have to be made for several months.
In the here and now, the focus is more squarely on how much Kadri can handle this year. The Leafs have brought in a slew of depth free agents and are hoping to find three forward lines that can be counted on for offence. With Kadri about to turn 24, and with a 50-point season already under his belt, there is every reason to believe that another step forward for the player would also be a big one for the organization.
Where Nonis is most looking for improvement is with his consistency.
“Naz has to be prepared to compete for 82 games,” he said Tuesday. “If he is then he’s going to have a very good year. He’s a very talented player. Last year he showed at times what he can do. … There’s no doubting Naz’s skillset and the positive impact that he can have on the team.
“If he’s prepared to play for 82 games we’re going to be in pretty good shape with Nazem Kadri.”
In truth, they already are.
For all of the conjecture that has surrounded Kadri during his career he’s developed into a meaningful contributor the past two seasons. While his production following the 2013 lockout (44 points in 48 games) was certainly helped by the fact he played more sheltered minutes as a third-line centre, he showed last year that he was capable of handling the increased responsibility on the second line.
Eventually, you’d think, he’ll get a shot alongside Phil Kessel on the top unit.
That topic became relevant as the Leafs broke camp because coach Randy Carlyle strongly hinted that he wants to shake things up. For now, it appears that the change will be swapping Joffrey Lupul in for James van Riemsdyk at left wing, but there’s no guarantee he’ll stop there.
“There’s this challenge that you do inside (your head) where you say: ‘OK, Bozak, Kessel and van Riemsdyk — would that idiot break up that line?”‘ said Carlyle. “You’re going to say (that about me) if I do it. I remember when Lupul, Kessel and Bozak were the top-scoring line for the first 40 games before I got here because we played them in Anaheim and they kicked our butt. You remember that. …
“So there are things that are available to us.”
This is bound to be a season of change in Toronto. It’s possible that every forward line and defensive pairing will be different from a year ago when the puck drops Oct. 8 against Montreal.
The only sure thing that can be slotted in right now is Kessel in his regular spot as top line right-winger. On Tuesday, he told Sportsnet that no one inside the organization had asked him about his preferred linemates — adding that “I’m sure I’ll play with Bozie.”
“We’ve played together so long that I’m really comfortable with him,” said Kessel. “But it’s up to the coach, right?”
All the coach is promising is that he’ll approach the internal competition over the next couple weeks with an open mind.
“We’re willing to experiment in training camp,” said Carlyle.
Kadri should figure prominently into the experimentation. This is a big year for the young centre and the timing couldn’t be better for management to see if he’s ready to handle a new challenge.