The Russian escaped from captivity in Calgary, where he did not hide his indignation at a weak team. Zadorov remained in Canada, but moved to Vancouver to join the Canucks.
The transfer of Zadorov, 28, also constitutes a historic transaction because in the NHL, trades between teams in the same division are extremely rare. Nikita replaced one Pacific Division team with another.
In turn, Calgary received two NHL draft picks as compensation. In 2024 in the fifth round and in the third round in 2026.
Calgary general manager Kray Conroy said the Russian’s move to a team in his own division doesn’t scare him. That’s right, it seems to be a bit misleading.
“Of course, a trade with a team in your division is not something you want to do. But this deal doesn’t scare me. It makes sense for both sides. Now Vancouver is very good. Nikita will play an important role in the And I Had to Do This, which he considered the best.
We need to get a better deal. Bringing back two assets and also bringing in a young guy and then freeing up some salary cap space,” Conroy said.
Canucks general manager Patrick Alvin praised the Russian. The official admitted that the team relies a lot on the defender.
“Nikita is a big, strong, mobile two-way defender who will bring more physicality to our game. We really like his size and abilities, and adding him to our blue line gives us more depth and options to play. ‘future,’ Alvin said.
Zadorov honestly drew up the contract, but did not hide his indignation
“Calgary” had no special complaints about the Russian in terms of play. He took part in 21 regular season matches this season, scored one goal and made five assists. But at the same time, Nikita did not hide the fact that he wanted to leave. He spoke about it directly.
On November 11, in a match against the Toronto Maple Leafs (4:5 B), the Russian spent a little more than 15 minutes on the ice. Nikita was furious that he got so little playing time. Shortly after the shootout, media reported that Zadorov had requested a trade. Russian agent Dan Milstein also confirmed the information. He immediately stated that Zadorov was unlikely to remain on the team.
The New Jersey Devils, Toronto and Vancouver were named as the main suitors for the Russian. The media guessed it, Zadorov addressed Rick Tocchet’s team.
In Vancouver, Nikita will be able to work with Sergei Gonchar. He is a defensive development coach. That is, Zadorov will regularly interact with the famous hockey player.
Additionally, and more importantly, Zadorov joined a sensational, ambitious team. Vancouver has had an excellent start to the season. The team that didn’t even make the playoffs last season found itself in 3rd place in the Western Conference. Moreover, “Calgary” is also in 9th place.
The prospects for Vancouver and Zadorov seem interesting to say the least. With the Canucks, the Russian will play with Quinn Hughes, the third star of the NHL in November. Hughes’ main partner is Philip Gronek. Certainly, they will remain the main pair of defenders, but the Russian could find himself in the second line. Additionally, the Canucks suffered an injury to Carson Soucy.
The Canucks received the Russian’s expiring contract with a cap hit of $3.75 million. At the end of this season, Nikita will become an unrestricted free agent in the NHL, and his future directly depends on how he plays on the new team.\
Anton Mozgovoy, Athletistic
Source: Sport
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
