Nazem Kadri delivers heartfelt speech in Denver during Stanley Cup parade celebrations
For Nazem Kadri and the rest of the Colorado Avalanche, winning the Stanley Cup was a dream come true. For GM Joe Sakic, he already knew the feeling as a player, but now he also gets to experience the feeling as an executive; as the man responsible for assembling the team that ended the Lightning's two-year reign as Champs.
Kadri had an opportunity to speak at yesterday's festivities in Denver, making sure to acknowledge not only his teammates and the fans, but the management group who believed in him as well. When the Avs acquired Kadri from the Leafs on this day 3 years ago, a large percentage of Leafs Nation was sad to see him go. Sure, there were some who believed it was the right move, given his inability to stay on the right side of the line in the playoffs. For Avs GM Joe Sakic, he saw a fiery competitor who he could win with - something Kadri made sure to acknowledge both immediately after their Cup win on Sunday and again on Thursday.
Honestly, seeing Naz thrive in Denver hurts a little bit, sure. But I'm also incredible happy for Kadri. The way he conducts himself off the ice, with the fans, with the media. He just seems like such a polite guy and genuinely appreciative of people's time. On the ice, he's a warrior and leaves it all out there. He's a guy who would do anything for his teammates and he has now proven that he IS the type of player who can help a team win a Championship.
Kadri now has a very big decision to make for his future. Does he maybe take a little less to remain in Colorado to have a chance to run it back and repeat as Champs? Or does the 31-year-old go out and secure the bag, which he quite honestly deserves? We now have less than 2 weeks until we find out.
| POLL | ||
1 JUILLET | 358 ANSWERS Nazem Kadri delivers heartfelt speech in Denver during Stanley Cup parade celebrations Does Kadri return to the Avs this summer or is he headed to free agency? | ||
| He'll stay put in Colorado | 176 | 49.2 % |
| He's heading to free agency | 182 | 50.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
