Just how close were the Vancouver Canucks to re-signing Nikita Zadorov?
The 6-foot-6 defenceman left Vancouver for Boston on the first day of free agency last summer, inking a six-year deal worth $5 million per season. But it sounds like the Canucks could have kept him on a five-year deal.
Zadorov said earlier this month that he felt a little bit disrespected in negotiations, and this morning CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal explained why.
“Zadorov and agent Dan Milstein 100% wanted to re-sign in Vancouver. So contract talks started before the playoffs,” Dhaliwal told Mike Halford and Jason Brough on Sportsnet 650.
The Canucks offered Zadorov a four-year contract worth $4.6 million prior to the start of the playoffs, according to Dhaliwal. But Zadorov, who turns 30 next April, wanted a fifth year.
“Term was the big issue, not money. Canucks wouldn’t budge on four years.”
Zadorov was a good fit on Vancouver’s blue line, but he didn’t become a cult hero among fans until the playoffs. He scored eight points (4-4-8) in 13 postseason games and was a physical force.
Dhaliwal believes Zadorov felt disrespected when he wasn’t made a priority after the season. The Canucks were zoning in on Jake Guentzel at the time. Dhaliwal added that the Canucks eventually offered Zadorov a five-year contract, but by that time, it was too late, so he rejected it.
Time will tell if the Canucks will regret letting Zadorov go in free agency as they did with Chris Tanev four years ago. What is clear through four games is that the Canucks are thin on the back end.
The top pairing of Quinn Hughes (27:11) and Filip Hronek (24:44) are playing a ton, while Tyler Myers and Carson Soucy have had their struggles on the second pair.
The third pair has had a rotating cast of characters already. Free agent signing Vincent Desharnais has been a healthy scratch twice, while Erik Brannstrom was called up from the AHL for Thursday’s game in Florida. Derek Forbort and Noah Juulsen have also seen time on third pair.
Zadorov, meanwhile, has had a strong start with the Bruins. He’s fourth in average ice time (18:25) among Boston blueliners and has three points (0-3-3) in five games.