Kadri’s hearing for possible suspension scheduled for Monday

After cross-checking Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk in the head on Saturday night’s Game 2, Nazem Kadri will have a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on Monday.

This will be an in-person hearing, meaning that the Leafs forward can be possibly suspended for more than five games. If it was a phone hearing, that would be the limit.

Kadri will be obviously unavailable for Game 3 on Monday, due to the hearing and most likely upcoming suspension.

In an all too familiar instance, Kadri was suspended last year for three games during the playoff series against the Bruins for an awkward hit along the boards on Tommy Wingels.

Kadri will be considered a repeat offender for this suspension hearing because of this hit. Once a player goes 18 months without a suspension, they can be cleared off the repeat offender list.

Based on this and the severity of the hit, it seems like most analysts or experts are assuming the Leafs will be without the center for at least five more games, or the remainder of the series against the Bruins.

He was missed last year, but with the offensive bulking that the Leafs did over the season, his absence might be a little less noticed.

Matthews, Tavares, and most likely Nylander will be the three centers the Leafs go into Game 3 with. Nylander played center earlier in the year and it seemed to use his abilities quite well — transitioning easily through the ice.

Concrete lineup changes will be announced early Monday at the gameday skate.