Kadri's first game against Toronto since being traded is bound to be an emotional one

“It’s personal, it’s absolutely personal.“

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 4 years ago
Kadri's first game against Toronto since being traded is bound to be an emotional one
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He may not be saying much about it to the media, but many feel it will be an emotional night for Colorado’s Nazim Kadri tomorrow when he faces his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, for the first time since being traded back in July of this year. Dave Poulin, a former player and general manager of the Toronto Marlies while Kadri was playing there in his late teens, appeared on TSN's Leafs Lunch today to talk about it. He said Kadri is an emotional player anyway, so an event like this is sure to stir him up.

“There’s no question about it,” said Poulin.
“It is very, very emotional.”
“He’s an emotional player. He thrives on emotion. Emotion could be the reason, or one of the reasons, they (Toronto) felt it was necessary to move him, because it was his emotions that took him out of the last two years of the playoffs.”

Poulin was, of course, referring to Kadri’s back-to-back suspensions in the first round of the playoffs against the Boston Bruins. It was something management and fans alike felt really hurt the team. Because of that, despite the fact that Kadri was a high, first-round pick, and was a star for the Maple Leafs during some rough years for the club, Poulin sa hide believes the trade was necessary.

“I think it was necessary, I really do. As effective as he could be, at the critical moments when you needed him, he wasn’t there. And it was two years in a row. One would be a one-off. When it happened the second year, I think compounded it.”

Both hosts remarked that early analysis shows the trade being highly in favour of Colorado, as Kadri has seven goals and 15 points in 22 games, while Alexander Kerfoot has just eight points in 21 games, and defenseman Tyson Barrie has really struggled so far this season. However, Poulin believes Barrie could very well turn his play around under new coach Sheldon Keefe, and doing so will balance the trade out.

As for whether Kadri is taking this game personally, Poulin, who has been traded a few times himself and has had to face former teams for the first time, says there’s no question about it.

“It’s personal, it’s absolutely personal."   
Source: TSN