By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter / X @EamonnMcLean44
On July 1st, the Boston Bruins announced the signing of Nikita Zadorov to a six-year, $30 Million contract. Zadorov is a six-foot-six, 236-pound left-handed defenseman known for his physical style of play. With the Bruins already boasting six capable defensemen at the NHL level, many wonder where Zadorov may fit in the Bruins lineup.
How did we get here? Zadorov’s development path is as unique as his skillset. Born in Moscow, Zadorov played for CSKA Moscow until 2012, where, as a 17-year-old, he decided to leave Russia for North America after being selected by the OHL’s London Knights ninth overall in the 2012 CHL Import Draft. The 2012-13 season was Zadorov’s Draft year, and he put up 25 points in 63 regular season games on a London Knights team featuring future NHLers Max Domi, Bo Horvat, and Josh Anderson, as well as former Bruin Seth Griffith. Zadorov added six points in 20 playoff games, helping the Knights win the OHL Championship. Zadorov would be drafted that summer 16th overall by the Buffalo Sabres.
Zadorov split the 2013-14 season between the Knights and Sabres, winning a Bronze Medal at the 2014 World Junior Championship on a Russian team featuring Pavel Buchnevich and Andrei Vasilevskiy. 2014-15 would be his first full-time NHL season, where he played 60 games, putting up 15 points. That summer, he would be traded for the first time to the Colorado Avalanche alongside Mikhail Grigorenko, JT Compher, and a 2015 2nd-round pick in exchange for Ryan O’Reilly and Jamie McGinn. Zadorov would play the next five seasons in the Avalanche organization before being traded for the second time to the Chicago Blackhawks with Anton Lindholm in exchange for Brandon Saad and Dennis Gilbert. Zadorov would play the shortened 2020-21 season with Chicago before he was traded again to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a 2022 third-round pick.
The now 29-year-old is coming off a strong 2023-24 campaign, where he was yet again traded midseason from the Calgary Flames to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2024 5th-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick. Zadorov had a respectable 23 points in 75 regular season games, with 125 penalty minutes, and was good for second in the league among defensemen. However, in the playoffs, Zadorov stepped up his game, producing eight points in 13 games with a further 26 penalty minutes, helping the Canucks get past the Nashville Predators before falling to the eventual Western Conference Champion Edmonton Oilers in seven games.
The Bruins have tried several times to find a long-term partner post-Zdeno Chara for Charlie McAvoy. Derek Forbort, Matt Grzelcyk, Hampus Lindholm, Jeremy Lauzon, and others have gotten opportunities with varying levels of success. Zadorov, at six foot six, would be the tallest partner McAvoy has had since the original “Big Z.” What Zadorov may lack in footspeed and puck-moving, McAvoy can compensate for. Pairing Zadorov with McAvoy could also allow more offensive opportunities for Hampus Lindholm and Mason Lohrei.
Another option could be pairing Zadorov with fellow shutdown defenseman Brandon Carlo. Zadorov and Carlo could become a reliable shutdown pair for Coach Jim Montgomery when the Bruins protect a lead late in games. This would also allow either Hampus Lindholm or Mason Lohrei to play with Charlie McAvoy, with whom both players have looked strong. Zadorov and Carlo also could be used together on the penalty kill, depending on who is in the box.
Recently acquired Andrew Peeke could be another potential partner for Zadorov. In his limited sample size with Boston, Peeke showed strong skating ability, which would complement Zadorov well. Peeke, like Zadorov, delivers fierce open-ice hits and protects his Goaltender. It seems unlikely that the Bruins would spend $5 million a season on Zadorov only to deploy him on the third pairing. However, with Hampus Lindholm being a lock for the top four and Mason Lohrei showing promise in the playoffs with Charlie McAvoy, you never know.
Where Zadorov slots in for the Bruins is unknown; however, what he brings to the table is. Zadorov is an enormous, fearless, physical defenseman who fits the profile of recent acquisitions. Despite losing Derek Forbort to Vancouver and Matt Grzelcyk to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the signing of Zadorov promises to help maintain Boston’s strong defensive core, which has been the root of their success the past few seasons.
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