When Nikita Zadorov moved to Canada in 2012, the Russia-born teenager didn't speak much English.

So he learned the language by flipping through children’s books while sitting in the dressing room. Some of his first words, according to a teammate with the OHL's London Knights, were insults that he playfully hurled at the others in the room.

“He was a big goofball,” said Ryan Rupert, who spent two seasons with Zadorov in London, Ont.

Zadorov, who has graduated to chirping opponents — and fans of the opposition — might still be a goofball. But make no mistake: the 30-year-old Boston Bruins defenseman is not playing nice anymore.

Call him dirty or a cheap-shot artist, if you'd like. But one month into his 11th season in the NHL, the Big Z has left a growing pile of bodies on the ice as he re-establishes himself as the league's hardest hitter.

Back in October, Zadorov hit Buffalo's Owen Power so hard that he sent the Sabres defenseman into the bench and on the lap of backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo. Two weeks ago, Zadorov had pretty much all of Long Island cursing his name after targeting New York Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer with a hit and then a cross-check to the face. Last week, Zadorov injured Toronto’s Scott Laughton with a huge, open-ice hit. And on Tuesday, Zadorov sent Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews to the dressing room with a lower-body injury after a questionable hit from behind.

Then again, every hit looks questionable when you're 6-foot-7 and 255 pounds. 

‘We’ll See’: Maple Leafs Wait To See How Serious Auston Matthews’ Lower-Body Injury Is Following Third Straight Loss With the Maple Leafs already struggling, Auston Matthews was sidelined with a lower-body injury following a hit that didn't sit well with his coach and teammates.

“It was just a normal play. I didn’t really hit him. I hit my right shoulder, 99% of my hits in the NHL are with my right shoulder," Zadorov told reporters. “There was really no intention to hurt him. I play hard against top players on the other team. That’s my job.”

It wasn't always hit job to play this way. Back when he was playing with the London Knights, Zadorov was a power play specialist who once scored 11 goals and 30 points in 36 games. But as an NHLer, he's had to evolve his game — or rather, devolve — into becoming a defensive defenseman who punishes anyone who dares to enter his side of the ice.

“I personally think the fact that he’s got this much attention as a defensive defenseman is he’s playing the game the right way," said Rupert. "It means he’s having success because he’s driving the other team’s players crazy. He’s taken out Matthews, and Laughton the week before, he’s getting under the skin of some of the top players. I don’t think the hit last night was vicious.

"That’s the way that the Big Z has to play to have success in the league.”

To add insult to injury, Zadorov has been just as vicious with his post-game chirps, as he has been with his bone-rattling bodychecks.

Following his hit on Schaefer, which resulted in an interference penalty and two roughing penalties, Zadorov jokingly said: “I want to improve my penalty minutes this season," a reference to his league-leading 145 penalty minutes last season.

After Islanders fans flooded his Instagram account with insults, Zadorov clapped back: "Get out of my DMs And go to the Rink To cheer on your team. THIS PLACE WAS [A] LIBARY [sic] TONIGHT!!!”

Why The Islanders Need An Enforcer To Keep The Flies Off Matthew Schaefer New York Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer either needs to fight back or risk an injury unless the team finds someone to be his bodyguard.

"I can’t recall how lippy he was with the other teams, but he was always lippy with us," Rupert said of Zadorov's penchant for trash talking. "He was always joking and having fun. I remember when he first came over, he was not speaking very well English. The way he learned was reading kids books in the dressing room. As time grew, he developed his English pretty good."

Zadorov's mastery of the English language is not the only thing that has improved. He's always been a big problem for opposing players. But after signing with Boston, Zadorov told reporters that he studied old videos of the team's Stanley Cup runs to get a sense of how to play Bruins hockey.

It's safe to say he's become a quick study. After 18 games, he now ranks fourth in the league with 65 hits (he ranked 20th with 219 hits last season) and is tied for fourth with 31 penalty minutes.

“I think it’s always been part of his game,” said Rupert. “He wasn’t 250 pounds when he was playing in London, but he was always heavy. he was always tipping the scales. once you progress, there’s always somebody better, so I think he figured out that he needed to play like a dog and be a prick.”