Player Discussion Nikita Zadorov

[BigGoalBrad]

He's Gryzlyks replacement and the least of our problems.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

He's Gryzlyks replacement and the least of our problems.

People also say he is a 3rd pair Dman but in his last two PO seasons he was 3rd and 4th in TOI with Vancouver & Calgary and was a plus player. He wasn't paired with Quinn Hughes last playoffs as both are LD, so I don't see why he shouldn't be paired with McAvoy and not drag him down. Give him time to acclimate and he should be ok. You can always spot Lindholm with McAvoy when needed.

 

[Kalus]

I think what @PlayMakers may be referring to in his question is that the Bruins said publicly from the time of Zadorov’s signing that they were going to try him on MacAvoy’s left side. And before the regular season starts its first game, Zadorov is on the third. That there is an apparent disconnect between what they thought they were getting and what they’ve observed over training camp.

We don’t know for sure (it’s only game one and who knows even what will happen by the second period) but it’s something.

Personally I never thought Zadorov was a top pair guy anyway… and I’ve been an advocate of acquiring him for years now. He’s likely to see time with everyone, but even if he’s third pair through Game 82, I think he will contribute in ways where the number of his pairing will be inconsequential. He’s gonna make everyone around him bigger, he’s going to surprise at key moments, and he’s going to be a massive addition to the locker room. Is $5M/yr too much? Sure. But it’s too much well-spent IMO.

$5M at 6 years for a 25 year old Zadorov, overpayment, but fine.

$5M at 1 or 2 years for a 29 year old Zadorov, overpayment, but fine.

$5M at 6 years for a 29 year old Zadorov, that’s a different answer. Far too many regression years, especially for a guy who plays as physically as he does.

But just like the E Lindholm deal, the Zadorov signing makes sense if you see it as a 3 year deal while they are in contention and then the back half will be during the rebuild, so the massive overpayment doesnt matter as much.

 

[Mad-Marcus]

The B's didn't stick to any of the D pair plan discussed by Monty heading into camp.
The team in general looked ill prepared and struggling to get comfortable. I think too much time was spent in camp trying out guys that were headed for Providence. Fine for the first 4 games, but the last 3 should have been roster warmups. It shows, no chemistry. It should/hopefully will get better over October.