In an effort to increase scoring and break-out of a seven game losing streak, the Toronto Maple Leafs called up forward Nazem Kadri and defenceman Keith Aulie from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League on Friday.
Kadri, who hails from nearby London, Ontario, has five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 14 games with the Marlies this season.
The Leafs selected Kadri in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. He played in one game last season for Toronto in an emergency call-up from the OHL. In a stand-out junior career with both the Kitchener Rangers and the London Knights, Kadri had 92 goals and 166 assists for 258 points in 242 career games.
Keith Aulie, meanwhile, was acquired from the Calgary Flames in the trade that sent Dion Phaneuf to Toronto last season. In 14 games with the Marlies this season, the 6'5" defenceman has one goal and three assists.
Toronto Maple Leafs President and GM Brian Burke met with the media at practice on Friday and said that in an ideal world, Kadri would be given more time before being called up.
"Well I think in an ideal world, if we’d won a few of the last games we’d probably give him a little bit longer," Burke stated. "Maybe another couple of weeks, maybe another three weeks but it’s not an ideal world. We’re scuffling here."
Despite the team losing seven games in a row, and going 1-7-3 during their last 11 games, Burke re-affirmed his believe in the team that he has assembled.
"I believe in this group, I do," Burke said. "I do believe it was no fluke going 4-0, it was no fluke having the preseason we had. This is a group that I think has character, has the skill-sets and the individual skills we need to come out of this. I believe in the group."
"A GM will stand up there and say that no matter what to try to get his team going, but I believe in this group and I told them that."
"This isn’t my first rodeo. This isn’t the first time I’ve had a team struggle. I’ve been at this awhile. I’ve been through tough times before and I’m not panicking."
To make room for both Kadri and Aulie, forward Christian Hanson and defenceman Korbinian Holzer have been re-assigned to the Marlies.
Kadri and Aulie will be in the Leafs lineup on Saturday when Toronto hosts the Vancouver Canucks. At practice on Friday, Kadri was paired on a line with Tyler Bozak and Nikolai Kulemin, while Aulie was on the third defensive pairing with Brett Lebda.
Files used from TSN and AM640
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