Leafs sign Kadri to 1 year bridge contract
The Toronto Maple Leafs today announced that they had signed center Nazem Kadri, a 2009 first round pick, to a 1 year bridge contract with a cap hit of $4.1m. This is a raise of around $1m on his previous deal. Kadri was on of the unsung players last year in the league and this is a chance for him to have a bigger role.
Kadri was behind Bozak last season but that will likely be reversed this season with Bozak becoming a likely trade target. Toronto are desperate for a top center and they'll hope that Kadri can become that. Until Nylander progresses at least. Because, lets be real, Toronto's center depth isn't that great. They have some great role players, but no-one that stands out.
Arcobello was a great depth signing as he is capable of playing on both the third and fourth lines. He scored 17 goals in 77 goals last year which is okay when you consider he spent most of his time on two lottery teams, the Oilers and Coyotes. Spaling is also capable of playing on both lines but neither have the ability to play on the second or above if required due to injuries or poor performances from the top 6.
It'll be interesting to see how Kadri and Bozak do. Bozak played a lot with Kessel last season so it wouldn't be a surprise to see his production drop by 10 points. Kadri will benefit from his new line-mates. I wouldn't be surprised to see him have a season similar to 2013-14 when he put up 20 goals and 30 assists in 78 games.
If Kadri plays well then he could earn himself a bigger, longer contract next season. If he doesn't then the Leafs could go all out for Stamkos and let Kadri walk. This next season will be interesting for the Leafs for a number of reasons. I think they'll be one of the more interesting teams to watch this coming season. They won't be one of the best teams on the ice, but they'll have a number of players looking to prove themselves, both young and old which will make it interesting.
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