Rumor: Maple Leafs Nazem Kadri odd man out in Toronto

When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed John Tavares, instantly the Cap Geeks of the world crunched the numbers to see the forecasted impacts on the Maple Leafs salary cap. What they along with everyone else in hockey world discovered is the fact Toronto has some serious constraints coming. According to sources, Nazem Kadri will be the odd man out.

With the recent play of William Nylander down the middle for the Leafs, it appears the consensus would be to have him start the season next year as the number 3 centre. Once the Maple Leafs sign Mitch Marner and their collection of other RFA's this summer, the numbers aren't going to add up in their favour when it comes to flexibility. This is where Kadri comes into play along with his $4.5 million dollar cap hit. The good news for both the Leafs and interested teams is Nazem is signed until 2022 which bodes well for his new team and for the Leafs as this increases his value on the market.

Kadri is capable of scoring 30 goals every season, and when he is playing with a chip on his shoulder, he is tough to play against. The Maple Leafs have needs on defence, however, with the young core of Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren, Calle Rosen, and newly signed Mac Hollowell, the Leafs don't necessarily have to trade Kadri for a D-Man. Teams like Edmonton, Vancouver, St Louis, San Jose, and Colorado have all been linked to Kadri.

We will monitor this closely and provide any insight to the names being discussed as we move towards the summer.