Nazem Kadri will likely finish the season as the Maple Leafs’ leading scorer, but wasn’t on the ice Monday night to add to his totals in a 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.
The suspended centre’s situation underlines the good highlights vs. bad headlines conundrum, the latter often created by his over-zealous play. While turning 25 seems to have the impetus for maturity off the ice, his zeal to “play on the edge” has aroused the ire of opponents and worse, put him under scrutiny from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.
Repeat offender status saw Kadri get the hook for Toronto’s four remaining games on Monday morning, stemming from a cross check to the head of Detroit’s Luke Glendening on Saturday.