Nazem Kadri Playing Like He Belongs On The Toronto Maple Leafs

Nazem Kadri has not yet scored a goal at the NHL level during regular season play, but if he keeps making passes like he did tonight, no one is going to mind.

With the top line of Tyler Bozak, Phil Kessel and Nazem Kadri looking consistently dangerous against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night, Kadri showed the reason he was brought up. 

His offensive creativity and vision allowed him to make a pass across the ice to set up Kris Versteeg's goal on the power play. Then later, Kadri threaded it through a couple of defenders onto Kessel's stick, who quickly snapped it home between Martin Brodeur's legs.

Bozak seemed to have a little more jump and flair to his game tonight as well, having the two very dangerous snipers on his wings. Whether they can maintain this level of offensive pressure is the question though, as consistency has never been the Leafs strong point.

This line is most effective when using their speed to push back the defenders and either creating scoring chances or drawing penalties. If the legs aren't moving, they quickly fall into defensive lapses and have trouble getting it out of their zone.

If the chemistry continues between this line, and the strong play of the second line of Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur and Nikolai Kulemin keeps putting up points, will this keep Versteeg relegated to the third line? 

Versteeg has been heating up the last two games, but primarily on the power play where his shot has been effective working from the point. 

Also to consider, though still in the future, how do the lines change when Colby Armstrong returns? He is strongest in playing with the third line in a checking role, but you certainly don't want to remove Fredrik Sjostrom with his hardworking, effective play and dependable penalty kill skills.

Versteeg could get bumped up onto one of the top two lines, but does that relegate Kadri back to the AHL? Something tells me Burke won't be very willing to lose him if he keeps putting up the points.