I'm glad we have writers like George Popalis at the Toronto Sun to tell us what we think. Without someone like him telling us what our opinion is and why we're dumb some of us might consider ourselves free thinking individuals with rational takes on our beloved but admittedly recently crummy sports team.

Here they go again in Leaf land, Toronto fans getting all worked up about nothing. Rumblings out of Toronto Maple Leafs camp point towards Nazem Kadri needing more time to develop, and Toronto is abuzz with words like 'flop' and 'bust'. - Toronto Sun

This is absolutely the case. For example, if you go back to September 20th we wrote a post here at Pension Plan Puppets telling everyone what a horrible bust Kadri is. Let me share a quote with you:

Let's all take a deep breath on Kadri. He's a great prospect but that doesn't mean he's a great NHL player. He might be some day but rushing his development to join this year's Leafs isn't going to help us in the short term or the long term. Let him develop. Let him become the player we need him to be in three or four years when this club can realistically open the season and say "We're going to make the playoffs".

Down here in the basement (waiting for my mom to bring me some chocolate milk, sheesh what's the holdup?) us bloggers just can't help calling Kadri a flop. Follow me past the jump for some more quotes from other people calling Kadri a flop.

Vintage Leaf Memories thinks Kadri is a horrible monster who single handedly ruined our chances at a playoff spot:

Myself, I agree with Burke, Wilson and all the analysts who say Kadri hasn’t been great in pre-season. But c’mon, what were they and we expecting? Why should a just-turning 20 year-old be your second-line center? If he is, chances are your team is not very good.

Just look at the teams who advance even to the quarter-finals in the NHL playoffs every year. Look at their second-line centers. You’ve got to be pretty good to compete with those guys. Kadri, and others, will get there when they get there. Development usually takes time. It doesn’t have to be today. - Vintage Leaf Memories
That's before we even get to someone whose username is "Bitter Leaf Fan". His takedown of Kadri's failings as both a player and a human being is worth reading:

If Kadri isn't with the Leafs out of training camp next year, then it's time to worry. For now, it looks like he's following the typical development curve. - Bitter Leaf Fan

For shame Nazem Kadri for failing all of us... we all think you're a failure and a big doo doo head. Let's go back to listening to rational truth teller George Popalis:


At seventh overall he's in the company of draft picks like Colin Wilson (2008, Nashville Predators), Jakub Voracek (2007, Columbus Blue Jackets), Kyle Okposo (2006, New York Islanders) and Jack Skille (2005, Chicago Blackhawks). Out of the four players mentioned above, only Okposo and Voracek have carved out solid spots with their NHL clubs. - Toronto Sun
Kyle Okposo is beloved by the Islanders organization. Jakub Voracek put up 50 points as a 20 year old on a team that couldn't score during frosh week. Colin Wilson will be the Predators' #1 center this year. Jack Skille is in behind Patrick Sharp and Jonathon Toews. Kadri's not a blue chip guys, he was drafted at the same time as all of those scrubs.
It doesn't matter if Kessel scores 40 goals this year, Toronto fans will always re-hash what they could have had. And should the Leafs endure another tough season and another top-three pick going to the Bruins, people in Toronto will call for Burke's resignation. - Toronto Sun

Similarly it doesn't matter if Leafs fans are ok with Kadri developing at the right pace, some hack writer will tell us what we think and then scold us like petulant children.

It's the classic Toronto Media either or. Currently we're too hard on Kadri. If this writer is having trouble meeting deadline next week it'll be that fans are all too complacent with "their" draft picks and that's why the Leafs never win.

Where are your sources Popalis? Can't even take the time to make up a fake person you talked to on the street? Can't stand on Bay St. at lunch time for half an hour until you find a Habs fan to say he's a bust and attribute the quote to a "Toronto businessman"? Congratulations on another lazy article picking apart an argument nobody supports.