Nikita Zadorov turned down the opportunity to reunite with Colorado
Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
The 29-year-old defenceman said in an interview that he felt the Boston Bruins gave him the best opportunity to win an elusive Stanley Cup. The Colorado Avalanche tried but ultimately came up short in its quest for a reunion with defenceman Nikita Zadorov.
"If I were to build a team I'd build it around him (Nathan MacKinnon) because he's a Stanley Cup winner." Ahead of tonight's Canucks/Avalanche matchup, Nikita Zadorov had high praise for the league leader in points. pic.twitter.com/s7yDT8irig— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 13, 2024
In an interview with RG.org’s Daria Tubolseva, Zadorov claimed the Avalanche were one of the teams that pursued him in free agency. However, he didn’t feel the three-time Stanley Cup champions gave him the best opportunity to win an elusive championship. As a result, the 29-year-old opted to ink a six-year, $30 million contract ($5 million AAV) with the Boston Bruins.
Selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round (No. 16) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Zadorov has accumulated 146 points (47 goals, 99 assists) in 642 regular-season games for the Canucks, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Avalanche, and the Buffalo Sabres. He also has 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in 58 playoff games.
Zadorov spent part of five seasons with the Avalanche, from 2015-16 to the 2019-20 season. His most productive season came in 2017-18 when he scored 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in 77 games. He also appeared in six playoff games and scored 3 points (one goal and two assists).
On October 10, 2020, Zadorov’s tenure with the Avalanche ended when he and Anton Lindholm were dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Brandon Saad and Dennis Gilbert. Before the transaction, he had signed his one-year, $3.2 million qualifying offer for the 2020-21 season. After a disappointing run with the Hawks, Zadorov has been a critical contributor for the Flames and the Canucks. In Vancouver’s most recent playoff run, which saw them eliminated in the Western Conference Finals by the Edmonton Oilers, Zadorov scored 8 points (four goals, four assists). His fifth playoff appearance proved to be his most productive as a pro thus far.
Zadorov didn’t badmouth Colorado on his way out the door, but he did imply the Bruins were more organized, which led him to choose the original six squads over the Avalanche.
“When you talk around the League, you always hear good things about Boston,” Zadorov told NHL Tonight. “Their culture inside the room, inside the organization. It’s always ‘win or nothing.’ To put myself in the best position to win the Stanley Cup, that was the main reason I signed there.”
Nikita Zadorov on joining the #NHLBruins: "Where do I start about why did I choose the Bruins? Everything...it's a big league, everybody talks...haven't heard a bad thing in 11 years about the Bruins culture."Watch full media availability ➡️ https://t.co/DbwRo60KlX pic.twitter.com/kCJJnecvgB— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) July 1, 2024
In 289 career games with Colorado, Zadorov posted 18 goals, 59 points, 328 penalty minutes, and 887 hits.
While the Avalanche failed to bring back Zadorov, their most significant move was the re-signing of forward Jonathan Drouin on a one-year, $2.5 million contract. They have also added some solid depth pieces in Erik Brannstrom, Calvin de Haan, and Parker Kelly.
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