My kernel version is 3.16.0-4-amd64. That is due to unrelated driver errors the newer kernels have consistently had on this hardware. I am surely not the only one in this situation.
I see there was NEWS mention of unspecified impact with the 1.8.1+ versions but did not pay much attention to since I am not upgrading "between Debian versions" here. The machine in question has always run Sid and gets weekly updates of everything short of full reboot. The main problem as I see it is that the packaging switched straight to the -nft versions without sufficient checking that it was not breaking the system by doing so. Surely there are tests that can be done on install to select the auto/default flavour better? AYJ