Nazem Kadri hits back at Leafs GM Brad Treliving's critics

There are few NHL players who know about the media scrutiny that comes with being a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs better than Nazem Kadri, who played nearly a decade for the team before departing for the Colorado Avalanche.

Now with the Calgary Flames, Kadri is facing the Leafs tonight in the venue he once called home. And ahead of tonight's game, Kadri is addressing the notion that this current edition of the Maple Leafs is too easy to play against physically. 

"It's about battles and grinding," Kadri said. "It's not necessarily laying a big hit or fighting somebody or chirping somebody. Those guys have that low-key toughness and I've seen it for years. I don't expect anything different from those guys."

Kadri also revealed his true thoughts on current Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, who brought him to the Flames with a hefty free agent contract when he served in that capacity in Calgary for a number of years. 

"He's a players guy," Kadri said. "He respects everybody's situation, which could be hard to come by in this league sometimes"

As far as any criticism that Treliving is taking for his performance as Maple Leafs general manager so far, Kadri doesn't believe it's fair.

"He knows what he's doing," he said. "It's too early to hop on anybody quite yet."

Whether or not the moves made by Treliving this summer for the Leafs after taking over from the terminated Kyle Dubas remain to be seen in the long-term picture. Grinding forward Tyler Bertuzzi hasn't impressed so far, and neither has Max Domi, the son of beloved former Leafs player Tie Domi. Meanwhile, defenseman John Klingberg has struggled as well.

Tonight's game between the Leafs and Flames gets underway from Scotiabank Arena starting at 7:00 PM. 

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