I generally agree with a lot of your posts, but this is a strange take to me that I just don't see eye to eye on.
His skating has looked a lot better, he's quicker and more explosive this year and most of all he is balanced, which was a big issue in previous years and he couldn't stay up on his skates or got knocked around easily. I also think he's doing a better job of retrieving the puck and also identifying when to pick his spots and engage in a board battle or force an aggressive forecheck. Although it was 3v3, the OT goal last night doesn't happen without his work on the boards at the end, he didn't quit on the play ever. Domi and Jarnkrok are also not really traditional cycle type players and excel more in transition or 1v1 battles in open ice.
His supposed 'defensive issues' are also seriously overblown, I see a player who has been quite responsible defensively, and has been focusing hard on being in the right positions and not overcommitting like he did before. In fact, I've even seen him often come in to support Domi who tends to have defensive lapses and prevent odd-man rushes or turnovers. The numbers also support him being a decent player defensively, sure he's not Bergeron but he holds his own and isn't some run-and-gun type player. The effort is almost always there as well.
He's a useful player and actually has some semblance of offensive talent, is just 22 years old still, and had only played 86 games of professional hockey coming into this season. He's finally healthy and getting better as he continues to play, with some big steps this year. I remember when people on this forum were ready to write Kadri off when he was 23, and he had played way more games in the AHL / NHL by that point.