Confirmed Signing with Link: [BOS] D Nikita Zadorov signs with the Bruins (6 years, $5M AAV)

[Bank Shot]

Ceci leaves you wanting more because he's the most vanilla player ever. Not sure I could come up with a worse comparison.

And yet coaches play him more than Zadorov.
And the pts per game is about the same.

Zadorov makes more big hits and also makes more bone headed mistakes.

He was averaging 17 minutes per night for the Canucks in the regular season last year.

One playoff season of lucky scoring overrides his last 5 years of results?

 

[Nothingbutglass]

And yet coaches play him more than Zadorov.
And the pts per game is about the same.

Zadorov makes more big hits and also makes more bone headed mistakes.

He was averaging 17 minutes per night for the Canucks in the regular season last year.

One playoff season of lucky scoring overrides his last 5 years of results?

Coaches? Like Edm coaches? What were their other options? This is a reach. Ceci doesnt have near the impact and TOI is stupid measure of it.

 

[nergish]

For as much as there were concerns about the "small sample size" in Vancouver, there's also a part of me that thinks Nikita just finally "figured it out".

He was an instant fan favourite, and had people in my friend group talking about hockey that simply wouldn't have been otherwise. Seeing him assert himself offensively in the playoffs was unreal. If he's decided that this is now a part of his game going forward, he's worth this contract and more.

Be good to him, Boston.

 

[Bank Shot]

Coaches? Like Edm coaches? What were their other options? This is a reach. Ceci doesnt have near the impact and TOI is stupid measure of it.

Toronto. Pittsburgh. Edmonton. All playoff teams. Ceci got top 4 icetime in every stop.

Zadorov hasn't gotten top four ice time anywhere recently. Fans tend to overrate players that are physical.

 

[Nothingbutglass]

Toronto. Pittsburgh. Edmonton. All playoff teams. Ceci got top 4 icetime in every stop.

Zadorov hasn't gotten top four ice time anywhere recently. Fans tend to overrate players that are physical.

So your math says Ceci is more valuable than Zadorov? I totally disagree and likely most NHL teams

 

[strattonius]

Toronto. Pittsburgh. Edmonton. All playoff teams. Ceci got top 4 icetime in every stop.

Zadorov hasn't gotten top four ice time anywhere recently. Fans tend to overrate players that are physical.

Zadorov got top 4 deployment in the playoffs. Once he joined the Canucks his ice time continued to climb with Tocchet. He will do well with a coach like Montgomery.

Also the narrative that Zadorov continually makes boneheaded mistakes isn't really being honest. Zadorov isn't a 'glass and out' defenseman he tries to make plays and will turn the puck over every so often but it's not at the level you are exaggerating.

 

[BKarchitect]

Bruins fans are gonna absolutely love Big Z. At $5 million AAV this was a no brainer. He slots in perfectly as the #4 dman on that blueline. It may not always be the cleanest playing group but that top four of McAvoy, Lindholm, Carlo and Zadorov is gonna be an absolute menace to play against. Gonna be a real b!tch for opposing forwards. Bruins fans will definitely appreciate what Zadorov brings to the table. He will absolutely be a fan favorite in short order.

 

[strattonius]

So your math says Ceci is more valuable than Zadorov? I totally disagree and likely most NHL teams

He is angry at Zadorov and this is mostly personal. Zadorov cross checked McDavid in to Soucy's stick and Soucy got the suspension. Then he trashed the city of Edmonton. Before Vancouver, he played for Calgary. Most Oiler fans absolutely despise him and this is the result.

 

[Barnaby]

Too much AAV? Yes. Too long? Yes. Good contract? Yes.

I see him fitting like a glove in Boston, and the cap is only rising.

 

[ratbid]

Gonna miss Zads on Vancouver not gonna lie. But also, can someone please try him in the Byfuglien role and toss him shifts as a winger. I'm still convinced he would be an absolutely devastating winger.

 

[Bank Shot]

Zadorov got top 4 deployment in the playoffs. Once he joined the Canucks his ice time continued to climb with Tocchet. He will do well with a coach like Montgomery.

Also the narrative that Zadorov continually makes boneheaded mistakes isn't really being honest. Zadorov isn't a 'glass and out' defenseman he tries to make plays and will turn the puck over every so often but it's not at the level you are exaggerating.

Yeah he did get top 4 in the playoffs. My whole point is that his small playoff sample size this season is what got him paid.

The last time he was in the playoffs was 2022 and he got forced into top 4 minutes because of an injury to Tanev and he did not look good.

Which is the real player?

Z averages 13 assists per season. That's not very good. His results over his career say he's not a great passer.

He was traded last season for a 3rd and a 5th. That's generally not what top 4 defencemen get in trade returns.

This guy's whole career says he's a number 5 D besides his most recent playoff run. If I'm betting on future performance I'll bet on the larger sample size.

 

[East Coast Icestyle]

I absolutely loved Zadorov in his time in Calgary, both as a player and a person. So much fun to watch, has some good offensive talent imo that could be coaxed out, devestating hitter and solid defensively. Boston seems like such an excellent spot for him and he has some interesting partner options.

 

[Mad-Marcus]

Bank Shot, you're entitle to your opinion, but Z bring to the B's what they needed. It's all Monopoly money in pro sports, so that aside. With Mason Lohrie's ascendance over this coming year(based on his PO performance, he only got better against FLA) Z will see a lot of situational ice time over the season
The initial plan is to put him with MacAvoy, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him with Carlo on PK and at the end of games with Mac.
He's not going to have to be a top 4 guy, but he could evolve into on a different defensive structure.

 

[ijuka]

Yeah, I really don't see how Zadorov is a 5mil AAV player, especially on such a long deal. He's an offensive black hole and even defensively doesn't bring anything special. He hits, true, but the thing is, the more a team hits, the more likely they're to lose. So that's not exactly a desirable attribute, at least if your goal is winning. His penalty differential is also wildly negative.

Maybe he's a fan favorite, maybe he's a good locker room guy, but at this price I wouldn't go anywhere near. For 5mil AAV I want a player who's a positive impact, not a negative one.

Bank Shot, you're entitle to your opinion, but Z bring to the B's what they needed.

Oh, they needed an offensive black hole with negative defensive impact to give the opposing team power plays? Interesting, but at least now that need's been addressed.

If you had asked me, I'd have said that the Bruins' need was a center, but guess not.

 

[BruinLVGA]

Yeah, I really don't see how Zadorov is a 5mil AAV player, especially on such a long deal. He's an offensive black hole and even defensively doesn't bring anything special. He hits, true, but the thing is, the more a team hits, the more likely they're to lose. So that's not exactly a desirable attribute, at least if your goal is winning. His penalty differential is also wildly negative.

Maybe he's a fan favorite, maybe he's a good locker room guy, but at this price I wouldn't go anywhere near. For 5mil AAV I want a player who's a positive impact, not a negative one.


Oh, they needed an offensive black hole with negative defensive impact to give the opposing team power plays? Interesting, but at least now that need's been addressed.

If you had asked me, I'd have said that the Bruins' need was a center, but guess not.

“The more a team hits, the more likely they’re to lose”???????

 

[BergyWho37]

Toronto. Pittsburgh. Edmonton. All playoff teams. Ceci got top 4 icetime in every stop.

Zadorov hasn't gotten top four ice time anywhere recently. Fans tend to overrate players that are physical.

When you listed these 3 teams nothing came to mind about there defense track record ? woof

 

[PlayMakers]

Too much AAV? Yes. Too long? Yes. Good contract? Yes.

I see him fitting like a glove in Boston, and the cap is only rising.

I think the Bruins recognized that the contract has the potential to go bad in years 4 & 5, which is why there is no trade protection in either of those years and his actual earnings are less than his cap hit.

They made the contract attractive to 'budget' teams for the last two years when the cap floor is likely to be $80m.

 

[PB37]

Yeah he did get top 4 in the playoffs. My whole point is that his small playoff sample size this season is what got him paid.

The last time he was in the playoffs was 2022 and he got forced into top 4 minutes because of an injury to Tanev and he did not look good.

Which is the real player?

Z averages 13 assists per season. That's not very good. His results over his career say he's not a great passer.

He was traded last season for a 3rd and a 5th. That's generally not what top 4 defencemen get in trade returns.

This guy's whole career says he's a number 5 D besides his most recent playoff run. If I'm betting on future performance I'll bet on the larger sample size.

the Bruins didn't pick up Zaddy because of his elite level playmaking. Bruins want him to crunch bones, stand up for teammates, block shots, and play up and down the pairings as the situation calls for.

 

[stl76]

the more a team hits, the more likely they're to lose.

Correlation =/= causation.

 

[BlueBaron]

Of course Boston got him....most annoying rival ever....

 

[bearcountry17]

Yeah, I really don't see how Zadorov is a 5mil AAV player, especially on such a long deal. He's an offensive black hole and even defensively doesn't bring anything special. He hits, true, but the thing is, the more a team hits, the more likely they're to lose. So that's not exactly a desirable attribute, at least if your goal is winning. His penalty differential is also wildly negative.

Maybe he's a fan favorite, maybe he's a good locker room guy, but at this price I wouldn't go anywhere near. For 5mil AAV I want a player who's a positive impact, not a negative one.


Oh, they needed an offensive black hole with negative defensive impact to give the opposing team power plays? Interesting, but at least now that need's been addressed.

If you had asked me, I'd have said that the Bruins' need was a center, but guess not.

21st for dmen in ES goals, 73rd in ES points over the last 3 years. Since 17-18 he’s 8th in playoff ES goals, 26th in ES points. Those are not offensive black hole numbers.

 

[LouJersey]

Have yall noticed what Boston is able to do for defensemen? Did yall notice that Jay Leach is in the house now as well? Jay Leach teaching defensemen in front of a Vezina caliber goalie is going to be something to truly behold.

Who has a better top 6 D than Boston? I'll hang up and listen,