lol everyone's so quick to place all the blame on Kadri, who has been for the most part, fine for the "season" (which is 3 games).
Kadri did not lose the 1st line center role already, much as Leo did not "earn" the 1st line wing position. The entire team has failed to get results, and lines are being juggled.
There is no first line in Toronto. In fact people will soon realize that Babcock doesn't necessary label lines nor distribute minutes in a means based on that avenue. Even in Detroit where he had 2 studs down the middle TOI was distributed very even among lines. It's PP and PK minutes where players will differentiate mostly on minutes.
He doesn't micromanage 1st line- 4th lines which why no forward has broken the 20 minute mark which is where you would see the true #1 centers at. He runs a short shift bench where all his players get used.
With the change of line mates your correct that all it is, is to give a different look to get some offense as they've been firing blanks as a team. Kadri's role on this team is to play to his strength be a puck possession offensive playmaker and he's been just that. That's why with the changes he's still on the #1 PP.
#1 PP TOI when or if he looses that is when Babcock has lost interest in Kadri.
Bozak get's both PP & PK time and often his line comes out first after TV timeouts that's where the difference of TOI comes from to be more than Kadri's.... There is no #1 center in Toronto as there's no #1 line. Just a coach that's awake at the wheel distributes minutes in away that shifts are to be short, everybody is involved and fresh for there next shift all the while with the focus in using them towards there strengths. This is an environment where growth can occur as Babcock will make in game adjustment to reward good play for whomever it is something that was never possible under a micromanaged bench Carlyle deployed.
#coaching101 we're not use to it and many of us frankly with all the focus on berating players, overhyping others have forgotten what it's like to have a good coach and what it's met to earn it for the players.
Babcock didn't anoint Kadri the #1 center. The media did. As it's seems is that everybody is going hatch on to whomever is centering JVR is the teams #1 center which isn't the case.
