Insider Proposes Nikita Zadorov Trade With Bruins Rival
Insider Elliotte Friedman brought up the idea of the Bruins trading Nikita Zadorov to this rival.
© Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images - Insider Proposes Nikita Zadorov Trade With Bruins RivalDuring the off-season, the Boston Bruins signed defenseman Nikita Zadorov to a six-year, $30 million contract. With the Bruins needing an upgrade on the left side of their defense and more overall toughness, it made sense that the Bruins brought him in.
So far, Zadorov has had a bit of a shaky start to the season, like many of his Bruins teammates. In 21 games, the 6-foot-6 defenseman has five assists, an NHL-leading 46 penalty minutes, and a minus-1 rating.
In his most recent 32 Thoughts column, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman brought up the possibility of the Bruins trading Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks, which is the team the hulking defender finished last season with.
Here is what Friedman said on the matter:
"Weird idea that may only make sense to me: Nikita Zadorov back to Vancouver. No idea if even possible, or if anyone would want it, but he was a good fit and the Canucks miss him."
This is an interesting proposal from Friedman. Zadorov thrived during his brief stay in Vancouver, especially during the playoffs, as he had four goals, eight points, and a plus-3 rating in 13 games last spring.
However, a Zadorov trade with Vancouver, or any club really, would be incredibly difficult to pull off. Zadorov not only has a $5 million cap hit until the end of the 2029-30 season but also a complete no-movement clause for this season. Thus, he would need to give the green light for any potential move. Given the fact that he just signed six years to be a Bruin, it is hard to predict if he would do that.