Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin confirmed yesterday that they won’t be re-signing Nikita Zadorov, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort.
Zadorov, who was acquired by the Canucks in late November in a trade with the Calgary Flames, has seen his stock rise dramatically thanks to a big playoff performance. The 29-year-old was able to score four goals and eight points in 13 playoff outings, all while continuing to be the physical presence he is known to be.
Thanks to his outstanding performance, Zadorov is projected to get the biggest payday of his career. The Canucks were willing to give him that, as TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on Insider Trading that they made him a substantial offer before choosing to part ways.
“It’s believed that the Vancouver Canucks tried to keep him, but they came in late,” Dreger said. “They went as high as a $5 million AAV. It would make a lot of sense that Zadorov knows that he can get that. Can he get it from the Toronto Maple Leafs? I’m told that there are more than ten teams with considerable interest.”
While you can certainly understand Zadorov wanting to cash in on what will likely be the biggest contract of his career, it also makes sense why the Canucks were hesitant to avoid handing out so much money for a defenceman who has primarily been used on the third pairing throughout his career.
“I can’t overpay one single player, and Nikita Zadorov was extremely good for us in the playoffs and a character guy,” Allvin said yesterday. “We did our best, and he decided that he wanted to go somewhere else.”
With the news, the Canucks will need to find another defenceman to replace Zadorov moving forward, whether that be through free agency or trade. They are also looking to add another top-six forward to their roster, with reports that they are interested in pending UFA Jake Guentzel.
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