Canucks Add To Defensive Group, Acquire Zadorov From Flames

The pending unrestricted free agent has six points in 21 games this season.

After weeks of speculation, the Vancouver Canucks got their guy, acquiring defenceman Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames. In exchange, the Flames receive a third-round pick in the 2026 and the 2024 fifth-round pick the Cancucks recently acquired as part of the Anthony Beauvillier trade. So far this season, Zadorov has six points and 41 hits through 21 games and is a pending unrestricted free agent at the campaign. 

Listed at 6'6", 248 pounds, Zadorov should help the Canucks become a more physical team. He has posted over 150 hits in each of the last seven seasons and finished last year with 174 in 82 games. The hope is he will not only make Vancouver more difficult to play against but also that his presence may sway the opposition from taking cheap shots at Vancouver's top players. 

The big question now is what will the Canucks lineup look like when Carson Soucy returns. While Zadorov has played on the right side in his career, it looks as though head coach Rick Tocchet prefers the common left-right combination. While the Canucks have some time before making a decision, as Soucy isn't set to return for at least another month, it is something Vancouver needs to prepare for as the season continues. 

Overall, this move shows that the Canucks believe in this group and want to reward them for a strong start to the season. While trading away draft picks to solve short-term problems is never ideal, at least they did not split with a top-64 pick in this deal. On the surface, this deal feels like a win for Vancouver and is another example of general manager Patrik Allvin filling a need without giving up too much in return.