Scott Takes: Sorry Toronto, Nazem Kadri has moved on

“The smile says it all,” Nazem Kadri said, sporting a large grin, following the Avs series-ending 7-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday.

The smile lasted just a fleeting moment before he took the time to answer the question that was asked of him. But he deserved that moment. It’s been a long time coming, after all. 

This marks the first time in his 10-year career he’s made it out of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which a fellow reporter was quick to point out during the post-game Zoom call. That question elicited the smug, ear-to-ear grin on Kadri’s face. And I won’t lie, there was one on my face too. Because we all know his story, we all know what he’s gone through to get to this point. It should be a point of pride for him. He deserves this. Let him go, Toronto, he’s over it. He’s moved on, and he’s proved that throughout the first round of these playoffs.

So much has been said about Kadri’s past, and us media folk have been here to remind him of that in just about every Zoom call that participates in. He mentioned at the start of the playoffs that he certainly has a “chip on his shoulder” after getting chewed up and spit out and tossed to the curb by Toronto. After the series-clinching game, Kadri reaffirmed that the chip is still there, and “it’s not going anywhere,” he said.