They may not agree on everything, but Hockey Central analysts Nick Kypreos and Doug MacLean are on the same page when it comes to Toronto Marlies coach Dallas Eakins publicly calling out the Maple Leafs most highly touted prospect, Nazem Kadri.
“His body fat today is probably in the bottom three to five guys in our whole camp, and that’s unacceptable,” Eakins told reporters at training camp Friday. “That’s the easiest part of coming into camp is eating correctly and training correctly.”
Eakins’ criticism of the 21-year-old sparked a flurry of articles and a particularly scathing rebuttal from Don Cherry*, who bashed the Leafs organization on Twitter Tuesday.
“To call Nazem out so early was a surprise to a lot of people,” Sportsnet’s Kypreos says. “(Eakins) knew exactly what he was doing, and he knew the hornet’s nest it would start in a city like this.”
MacLean says he understands why the club’s management, coaching staff, fitness specialists would be upset with Kadri’s body fat. But he draws the line at voicing that frustration into a flashed microphone.
“Why give it to the media? Why not keep stuff behind closed doors and deal with him that way? I think it created a controversy around a young player who at this point in his career doesn’t need this, and the Leafs don’t need it,” MacLean explains. “You assign him to extra off-ice work, extra on-ice work, but I just don’t understand why they go to the media with it. If the media find out, fine.”
Explaining his remarks, Eakins tweeted:
FYI..Twitter world. I was asked a DIRECT question about Naz. I answered it honestly. I also stated that he was only half way done his tests
— Dallas Eakins (@dallaseakins) September 28, 2012
But neither Kypreos nor MacLean buy that defence.
“You can answer the question without getting into specifics,” MacLean says. “It’s very easy to say, ‘Our fitness tests are internal.’ That’s all that needs to be said.”
Kadri was the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, MacLean stresses, and by criticizing a player with such rich potential, the Leafs organization has created unnecessary aggravation for all involved.
Kypreos says Eakins purposely wanted to push Kadri’s buttons.
“He wanted to see if he could motivate him, and I don’t think that works with a guy like Nazem,” Kypreso says. “He’s the type of guy that in many ways says, ‘Screw you. I’ll do it my way.’ And at times it’s hurt Nazem early in his career. He’s going to have to find that fine line between what works and what doesn’t work for him.
“There’s stuff that Ron Wilson did to Kadri that didn’t faze him, and now Dallas is trying it. I don’t think it works on Nazem.”
Kadri is in the final season of a three-year entry-level contract worth $2.7 million. The forward had 18 goals and 22 assists in 48 games with the Marlies last season. He also spent 21 games with the Maple Leafs, compiling five goals, two assists, and notching a plus-2 rating.
“I don’t foresee him wanting to re-sign. If he doesn’t get his career going with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he will not re-sign. This will be his last year one way or another if he does not solidify himself as a regular,” Kypreos says. “I know there’s teams interested, and there’s been teams that have taken a run at Kadri for a trade. But Brain Burke wasn’t prepared to let him go last year. And one of those teams was the Washington Capitals.”
*Kypreos on Cherry’s Twitter rant: “It’s personal there. Don Cherry and the Leafs is like watching a car wreck.”