The Vancouver Canucks seem to be interested in reacquiring a fan-favourite from last season.
General manager Patrik Allvin recently contacted the Boston Bruins to discuss a trade for Nikita Zadorov, according to a new report.
“We already know they’ve thought about Nikita Zadorov; some say they’ve already called Boston about Zadorov,” explained CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal when talking about the Canucks on the Halford & Brough show.
While the two sides made contact, it appears the discussion didn’t progress much.
“I just heard it was a short conversation; it wasn’t major,” continued Dhaliwal.
The idea of the Canucks pursuing Zadorov was floated by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman just over a week ago. It looks like hockey’s biggest insider had a reason for proposing the idea.
“When Elliotte says stuff, you have to read between the lines,” explained Dhaliwal during his radio appearance today.
The Canucks let Zadorov walk in free agency last summer as they weren’t willing to match the six-year deal the Bruins offered. The early returns on that new deal haven’t been outstanding for the Eastern Conference team, as Zadorov has just one goal and six assists for seven points in 24 games, and that’s buoyed by two points in his most recent performance.
The left-handed player is in the first year of a six-year deal, which costs $5 million per season. The Canucks would need to get creative with their finances, either by shipping out another player, getting the Bruins to retain salary or using LTIR to make a deal work at this point in the year.
Despite his slower start this season, the 29-year-old still offers a ton of attractive qualities to the Canucks. He’s big, can skate, can put up points, and fit in well as an emotional leader for the club last season. Zadorov gave the team a swagger they seem to be missing at times this season.
The fans would definitely welcome the big Russian back with open arms. He endeared himself to the fanbase during last year’s playoff run, where he was one of the team’s best players.
The Canucks need for a defenceman has increased since they lost Filip Hronek to injury. The right-handed blueliner is expected to miss a significant amount of time, making an already thin defence group even worse. Zadorov is already a proven fit and could be the player management goes after for help.