Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nazem Kadri has been among the biggest stories of the preseason. The crafty center, who was the seventh overall pick in June's draft, has dazzled club management and fans alike with his promise during six exhibition games -- he's scored three goals, dished out two assists and earned a plus-five rating. Even if the games don't count yet, those are pretty heady numbers for an 18-year-old kid. (Well, to be fair, he turns 19 on Oct. 6.)
To read Hradek's analysis on the upstart Kadri and his take on the club's decision to ship the budding star back to the OHL, you must be an Insider.
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E.J. Hradek
Senior Writer, ESPN The MagazineABOUT THIS BLOG
E.J. Hradek
E.J. Hradek is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, joining the staff prior to its launch in 1998. He began covering hockey as a writer/editor for Hockey Illustrated in 1989. The following year, he beat the Stars to Dallas (by three years), taking over as the editor of Beckett Hockey Monthly. When the Stars finally did arrive in Big D, he hosted a weekly hockey radio show and tried (unsuccessfully) to convert ESPN's Skip Bayless to the greatest game on ice.
In 1996, Hradek left Dallas, but not the Stars. Relocating back to the New York area, he became a part-time pro scout for the club, seeing more than 100 NHL/AHL games for each of the next two seasons. The scouting gig was a great learning experience, offering a different view of the game.
Hradek grew up in Tuckahoe, N.Y., about a 40-minute train ride from New York City. Despite the proximity to the Rangers, Hradek embraced the Islanders when the expansion franchise debuted in 1972. Eight years later, he was part of the sellout crowd at the Nassau Coliseum that witnessed the Islanders' first Stanley Cup championship.
