Nazem Kadri
Kadri is a second-line right winger with first-unit power-play time on a deep Colorado team, still without a goal this season but producing assists.
Role
Inside the Rink's projection for tonight's game at Philadelphia (Oct 19) has him on line 2 with Gabriel Landeskog and Brock Nelson, so he is on the wing and Nelson is at center. The same page has him on the first power-play unit with T.J. Hughes, Jaden Schwartz, Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. The Oct 13 projection for the Dallas game had the same line, but the first unit then had Martin Necas where Schwartz now is. A Pittsburgh game preview from two days ago shows the same Landeskog, Nelson and Kadri line. Ice time is not settled by what I found. A Morning Puck table from about five days ago shows him around 20 minutes in one game, but I did not read that page live and can't say it is current. The competition for his spot is Schwartz, Hughes and Nic Roy, who were on other lines or units in these projections. I read none of these pages live (Daily Faceoff included), so they are projections and not confirmed lines.
Lineups.com says he has no goal yet but is generating chances (0.41 expected goals) and averaging nearly an assist per game. It also has him on the first power-play unit, with MacKinnon and Makar on the ice. A Mile High Sticking column argued that at 36 he can still keep pace and help the power play. It called the second line with Nelson and Landeskog the best fit for him, with enough scoring upside to justify top-six minutes.
The role is not fixed. Before the season the debate was whether he would be a third-line center, and a DNVR piece from his arrival framed him as a third-line add. His power-play spot also looks fluid: the first unit's makeup differed between the Oct 13 and Oct 19 projections. The Morning Puck page has him with Parker Kelly and Gavin Brindley in one table, though I can't date that. Colorado's forward depth means a cold stretch could move him down. He is 36 and has no goals so far.
Where analysts split
The disagreement is where Kadri should play. Some analysts want him on a top-six wing, and the coaches appear to be doing that. Others see him as a third-line center, which is where the pre-season framing put him. The specific question is whether he stays on the wing of the Nelson/Landeskog line and keeps the first power-play unit, or drops to the third line if the bottom of the lineup changes.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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