Leafs to dump Kadri’s contract this summer after yet another suspension?!

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety suspended Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri for the remainder of the first round for a cross-check to the head of Boston Bruins’Jake DeBrusk during Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Saturday night.

It is a second straight playoff suspension for Kadri and some pundits feel the Maple Leafs might have had enough… 

On Tuesday, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News joined a growing list of pundits suggesting that Kadri could be a perfect contract buyout candidate this summer following this lengthy suspension at a crucial time. 

Campbell believes Kadri’s tenure in Toronto could come to an end as the Leafs face a salary-cap crunch for next season and need to re-sign restricted free agents Mitch Marner, Andreas Johnsson, and Kasperi Kapanen. They also need to think about signing or replacing unrestricted free agents Ron Hainsey and Jake Gardiner.

Quite a lot to do with little money… 

Kadri carries a $4.5-million salary-cap hit over the next three seasons. Don’t throw us or Campbell under the bus: Kadri has amazing two-way skills and feistiness, however his suspension history might have convinced the Leafs to free up some cap space and this latest ban could make it easier for the Leafs to justify moving him.

Shedding Kadri’s cap hit would provide some much-needed cap relief for the Leafs, however, for now, it’s only pundits talking about the idea of buying out his contract or moving him. 

It remains to be seen what the Leafs will decide to do with Kadri. They might move past the Boston Bruins in the first round and Kadri will have time to redeem himself… 

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