from Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star,

Here’s another one of Babcock’s phrases: “There are 23 players — you coach them 23 different ways.”

It’s a great notion to perpetuate. And it’s probably true. But if we’ve learned anything about Babcock in 72 games as coach of Toronto’s NHLers, it’s that if he’s officially in charge of 23 players at any given moment, he seems to coach a select few players far harder than the others. For much of the season, and even before the 82-game grind began, 25-year-old centreman Nazem Kadri has been one of the coach’s primary focal points. That’s meant regular one-on-one meetings in the coach’s office, complete with exhaustive video review of the evidence that suggested Kadri has not yet lived up to his potential as a two-way force.

“I’ve been in and out of his office pretty daily,” Kadri was saying on Wednesday.

It has quite possibly been a relief to Kadri that lately the coach’s attention has been at least partly diverted to another concern — namely William Nylander. Kadri and Nylander have their similar traits. They’re both talented. They’re both centremen. The difference is Nylander is about a half-dozen years younger and a few hundred NHL games less experienced. This week, Babcock said he’d asked Kadri if it’s possible Nylander will be invited to as many one-on-one meetings as Kadri has attended this season.

“I told Babs there’s not enough time left in the season for that,” Kadri said.

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