Hockey Now's NHL Draft Countdown: DAY 23

8th-ranked prospect: Nazem Kadri

Team: London, OHL
Position: Centre
Shoots: Left
Height: 6-0
Weight: 167 pounds
Born: October, 6, 1990
Hometown: London, ON, CAN
ISS Ranking: 8th overall
Central Scouting Ranking: 15th among N.A. skaters

Photo by Claus Andersen

Nazem Kadri is a skilled centreman who can put up big numbers, but will need to fill out more if he wants to make the jump to the NHL.
The hometown London-product missed a few games with a broken jaw, but that wasn’t enough to keep him from scoring a team second best 78 points (25-53-78). Kadri is always a threat when on the ice killing penalties; he led the OHL in shorthanded points scoring five goals, while adding five assists for 10 points while on the kill.
He uses the size that he has well to protect the puck, and combined with great stickhandling, he is very difficult to defend against.

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8th pick in 2009: Dallas Stars

TEAM NEEDS
Injuries were the big story in Dallas last season, and with a drastic shake up in the front office, expect to see a different style of Stars hockey hitting the ice in the fall. When healthy, Dallas is a cup contender, but they may need one last top-six forward to really keep them as a consistent post-season threat

NOTABLE PICKS THIS DECADE
Matt Niskanen (2005, 28th); James Neal (2005, 33rd); Loui Eriksson (2003, 33rd); Trevor Daley (2002, 43rd); Jussi Jokinen (2001, 192nd); Steve Ott (2000, 25th); Antti Meittnen (2000, 224th)

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8th pick in 1999: Taylor Pyatt, LW (NYI)

Photograph by Canwest News Service

NHL TOTALS
91 G, 100 A, 191 P, 532 GP, 315 PIM

BEST SEASON
2006/2007 – Vancouver Canucks (NHL) 23 G, 14 A, 37 P, 76 GP, 42 PIM

WHERE IS HE NOW?
Vancouver Canucks (NHL)

Hockey Now’s Jordan Chong will be profiling a top prospect every day leading up to the NHL Draft in Montreal, June 26. Rankings provided by International Scouting Services; full draft guide available now at www.isshockey.com. Leave your comments and check out our official website at www.hockeynow.ca.