Maple Leafs are assuming Nazem Kadri will be suspended

UPDATED: Nazem Kadri is suspended for three games.

Toronto’s Nazem Kadri suspended three games for boarding Boston’s Tommy Wingels. https://t.co/YKyNt1Kcu0

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) April 13, 2018

The first thing George Parros mentioned when he took over as head of Player Safety in September is that he would come down harder on what he felt were non-hockey infractions. Comes down hard here on Kadri. https://t.co/TJP1QRIiAl

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) April 13, 2018

The video explainer emphasizes Player Safety’s belief that Nazem Kadri had time to either stop or change direction. They believe the hit is boarding. They mention Kadri’s three previous suspensions.

We now have to assume that the lineups below as introduced at today’s practice are close to what the Leafs will put on the ice for the next three games, which includes two home games, where we might have expected to see Kadri matched up against the Patrice Bergeron line.

In game one on Thursday, the Bergeron played Auston Matthews’ line for over 6 minutes at five-on-five, and the results were not pretty for the Leafs.

Today as the Leafs took to the ice in Boston to practice, Nazem Kadri was not with the team:

Leafs back on the ice for practice ... Kadri not taking part pic.twitter.com/gqzpZE6Ck3

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 13, 2018

Related

Nazem Kadri gets the gate for a hit, but what about next game?

The hearing into a possible suspension is yet to be held, but the lines looked like this at practice.

Leo Komarov moves up to play with Matthews and Marleau moves back to centre.

Today’s Leafs lines:
Komarov-Matthews-Nylander
Hyman-Marleau-Marner
Van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Brown
Johnsson-Plekanec-Kapanen

— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) April 13, 2018

Tommy Wingels did not participate in the Bruins practice and is said to be questionable for Game Two.