Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri doesn't want to be compared to Michael Bunting

One name immediately came to mind for Toronto Maple Leafs fans when forward Michael Bunting was sent home from Game 1 against the other Tampa Bay Lightning for his hard hit on defenseman Erik Cernak: Nazem Kadri.

Bunting made a risky, high hit that led to both a match penalty and a suspension, just like the ones Kadri got during his time in Toronto. The NHL Department of Player Safety punished Bunting with a three-game suspension.

As for Kadri, he developed a reputation in Toronto as a playoff liability due to two different postseason suspensions. Kadri didn't entertain this thought on Twitter though. Responding to a post comparing the two players, Kadri joked he didn't want to be a part of the discussion.

"Y’all gotta leave me outta this one. Common man," he tweeted.

There is a slim chance Bunting has played his final game as a Maple Leaf because he will be unable to participate in Games 2, 3 and 4.

Given that the Toronto Maple Leafs are trailing Tampa Bay 1-0, and that Bunting is an unrestricted free agent this summer, the Leafs must win at least one of those games for him to have a chance to play in Game 5.

Kadri was known as a playoff liability for the Toronto Maple Leafs

During the first-round series between the Maple Leafs and the Bruins in 2018, Kadri was suspended for three games. Kadri was forced to miss Games 2, 3 and 4 due to a high hit on Tommy Wingels in Game 1. Boston ultimately defeated Toronto in seven games.

Kadri was once more suspended early in the team's 2019 first-round series against Boston. He was suspended for six games after engaging in cross-checking against Jake DeBrusk in Game 2.

He was absent for the remainder of the series, which they lost in seven games.

In part, because he failed to avoid difficulty in the playoffs, Kadri was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in the summer of 2019.

Kadri's antics did not instantly improve after moving to Colorado. He struck Blues defenseman Justin Faulk in the head during the 2021 playoffs, earning an eight-game suspension.

The completion of his ban coincided with the Avalanche's elimination from the playoffs in Game 6 against the Vegas Golden Knights, and he did not participate in the postseason again.

But in 2022, Kadri had the final laugh.

He was a key contributor to Colorado's Stanley Cup victory over Tampa Bay. After raising the Cup, he went on to denounce anyone who had called him a "playoff liability" while in Toronto.