Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
NHL Power Rankings: #10
Coming in at number ten on our list of the best centers in the Eastern Conference is one of the NHL’s most underrated centers: Nazem Kadri. Kadri is often overlooked because he plays for such a bad team (the Toronto Maple Leafs) and they haven’t utilized him properly until fairly recently. Despite this, he has some very impressive stats.
The Leafs have been one of the worst possession teams in the NHL over the past three seasons. That’s what makes Kadri’s possession stats impressive. He has an even-strength SCF% relative of 5.36% (sixth among Eastern Conference centers) over the past three seasons. His 8.14% even-strength HSCF% (high-danger scoring chances for percentage) relative ranks third among Eastern Conference centers. His 4.55% even-strength FenClose% relative is fourth.
With 2.04 even-strength points per 60 minutes, he ranks 11th. Considering who he has spent a majority of his time with, that’s really good. His power play production numbers aren’t impressive, but considering the Leaf’s power play, that’s not a surprise at all. An added bonus is that he has become an expert at drawing penalties.
Another knock on him is that he’s never gotten consistent first line minutes in the NHL, though that’s not his fault. This season, he’ll likely get first line minutes because Mike Babcock and Toronto must determine if he’s worth keeping. Looking at his track record in the NHL, I expect success.
Next: #9