The Leafs could get more out of Kadri if he were a true professional. Even not getting enough sleep is letting himself, the team, and fans down. Must be awful tempting to be partying at his age, with his money, with his notoriety.
He's 24 years old, 25 next October. I realize in some respects, that's still somewhat young but they're paying him millions to perform. Shanahan is basically saying "grow up". And the fact that they've effectively been saying this to him for years without a reliable response ... that's sad. Doesn't speak well for his character. Some talent appears to be there but it's currently not a solid character you can reliably build around. That's something this team needs.
I'm close to concluding: sign him to a short term deal and trade him before it's over so you recover something of value.
My impression is that he doesn't lack for self-confidence, and maybe has an excess of it. Not necessarily a bad thing in an ultra-competitive environment, but if it translates into a sense of entitlement and thus to lack of work effort, you have a problem. And in Kadri's case, it needs to be tempered by the fact that his achievements to date have been modest at best. He's far from having proved Burke right for taking him so high.
Kadri is a puzzler. One part of me agrees with you, but the fact that he's put in more of a consistent effort game in and game out this season (IMO) also speaks to some character solidity. Of course, I don't know what Shanahan knows and whatever Kadri's doing that's getting him hot water is not what you want to see out of a guy that we all hoped would be a cornerstone.
I guess for me, if the return was very very good, I'd move him.
This team isn't likely to accomplish much over the next three years so to me, I'd be looking at the long range. Is Kadri an integral part of their future? Internally, I have to wonder if they're convinced he is. He has talent but does he have the mental make up? Externally, they've said he is a key part of their future. They have to.
If I were them, what I might do, even if I intended to eventually move him: is make him the #1 center, let him rack up points and along with them, his trade value and then dump him if he's not going to work out mentally. something like that.
I might also do that for some of the others who do not appear to have a long term future - like Kessel and Phaneuf. I don't think either of those guys would return much right now. But a year or two from now, if the team is performing better, their value would be up while their contract risk lessened because it's shorter.
As this group hasn't been very generous with their efforts, I have little trouble being a little more mercenary with them and their futures. And that goes for Kadri as well.
That also gives Kadri the option to grow up and perform as an elite player in this league. It's still up to him. But if he's to remain an immature enigma, then there's nothing wrong with positioning the club to go through the motions to maximize a return on his talent.
That's a hunk of the consideration I'd be making for next year's roster - to maximize talent return - because so few of the current roster will be around by the time a rebuild makes them competitive. And we're in no gigantic rush because they're not going to be contending for a Cup anytime soon.
