Rumor: Zadorov has rejected a 4.5m x 4/5 yr offer from Canucks, Both sides want to get a deal done asap

[DJJones]

You mean how locked onto what Zadorov was through his entire career with the exception of the last 3 weeks of this past season?

Someone is going to overpay Zadorov badly for his playoff run, and I'm going to laugh.

He's had several streaks like this in Calgary. They never seemed to last though

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

He's had several streaks like this in Calgary. They never seemed to last though

Same in Colorado, he'd start looking like a legit top-pairing shutdown defensemen with the occasional ability to go end to end with an absolute cannon of a shot. Then he'd become completely lost and any semblance of puckluck would completely disappear. Unfortunately the streaks of him looking bottom-pairing far outnumbered and outlasted the top-pairing moments.

 

[Bond]

Same in Colorado, he'd start looking like a legit top-pairing shutdown defensemen with the occasional ability to go end to end with an absolute cannon of a shot. Then he'd become completely lost and any semblance of puckluck would completely disappear. Unfortunately the streaks of him looking bottom-pairing far outnumbered and outlasted the top-pairing moments.

Yup, it is why fans overvalue him. He looks like he could be a legit top four dman and then just loses it once he gets too much time.

 

[tucker3434]

I love that guy but I sure would hate to sign him to a big contract. Really seems like a lottery team should do it. Contenders don’t have that kind of cap space.

 

[NYVanfan]

Gives me pause past teams’ fanbases criticisms…we’ve only seen him in a half-year sample. Still at 5M or less hard to find what he brings

 

[PatLaFontaineASMR]

Imagine Van gonna get desperate

I see 6x6M with NMC first 4 years

 

[Wallet Inspector]

Ah the classic "I love this city but I wanna be overpaid".

 

[wintersej]

I'm willing to "downgrade" and let Z walk if the Canucks can sign Dillon and the difference and savings is more than 2.5mil AAV between both their new contracts.

Allocating that 2.5mil to improve the forward core could be very valuable to the Canucks who was icing Pius Suter and Ilya Mikhayev in the top 6 during the playoffs.

For instance, if your asking me if id rather have

A) Zadorov at 5.75 mil

or

B) Dillon 3mil, Duclair 3mil

I'll take B all day

I feel like 20 teams fans are penciling in Dillon at 3x3 into their lineups. Feels like a guy who might get overpaid.

 

[MCR74]

Ah the classic "I love this city but I wanna be overpaid".

Also known as the "Mitch Marner".

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Big Z should be resigned but nothing over 4.5M.

 

[BKarchitect]

Anything more than 4.5M x 4 for a bottom pairing D is stupidity.

It’s quite clear by his usage after he settled and in the playoffs that his role if he stayed in Vancouver wouldn’t even be remotely equal to a “bottom pairing D”. Whether or not you believe he can continue to excel higher up is certainly debatable. But he’s going to get paid and he’s certainly going to start off getting played like a high-level middle pairing guy.

All these things can be true at once:

- He played #3 type defenseman minutes for the Canucks in the playoffs and was an imposing and impactful presence. This is an indisputable fact.

- The fact that he did it in the playoffs and plays a such a heavy game while being an very mobile skater makes him a very sought commodity especially with a number of teams seemingly lacking in rugged, post-season type blueliners who also aren’t completely immobile turnstyles.

- He has flashed high levels before…not so dramatically or in such an important playoff role…but the flashes have been there. He was a high pick for very good reasons.

- He has seemingly crumbled back into an unreliable, poor decision making blueliner when handed extended auditions higher up, prior to this one, and has usually settled back into that third pair usage because keeping him out too many minutes has been a recipe for disaster.

- While 29 is not young and his track record is what it is - it’s definitely not inconceivable that he has simply matured at this point as a decision maker and combined with his huge size and athletic ability - he’s peaking at a slightly later point than some of his peers.

It’s all about risk/reward assessment. Personally, I’m more interested in looking forward. Brett Pesce and Nikita Zadorov are both 29 year-old blueliners who are going to get big money and big years on the open market this summer. Pesce’s career blows Zadorov so far out of the water it’s not even a comparison. Pesce has also seemingly lost a step recently and there are signs that wear and tear is catching up with him. If both of them want 5x5 or 6x6 or something extremely high and I was in a position that I had to pay one of them in a vacuum to add as an investment - I’d put aside by bias for Pesce’s name and history and pick Zadorov. I think athletically, physically he’s going to age better and I think at this point his peak is better. Both would be extremely risky deals but you pay to play in free agency.

I don’t discount the notion that Zadorov could melt back into a 16-17 minute a night depth guy. Certainly possible. I know he’s certainly going to get overpaid, especially by HfB standards where nearly every summer UFA signing is met by outrage. But…I think there’s also reason to be bullish on him too, if you’ve got the money to spend and a need.

 

[SilverKast]

if you’ve got the money to spend and a need.

This is the key right here. I love Big Z, he was the last Flames jersey I had, and I love what he can bring. However, it just isn't consistent enough for the money he wants. I don't begrudge the guy as I think every player should take what they can while they can. But he really was never enough to be more than a third pairing guy, and you can't pay a third pairing guy the money he wants if you want to build a successful team.

He sure can be fun to watch though when he lays out a big hit, and he's definitely not afraid to speak his mind - which is also refreshing from the usual "get it in deep, work hard" sort of interview.

 

[Double Dion]

I know I'm in the minority, but I think Zadorov is getting underrated here. I think he's a 4/5 in the regular season, but he has shown the ability to elevate when it matters. He's been a 2/3 in the playoffs with 3 different teams. He's a unique player.

Forecheckers just bounce off of him. He can get pucks out under control because it's so hard to lay the body on him.
He's an incredible skater, not just for a guy who is 6'6" 250, but straight up. He skated as well as any defenseman we had the last couple of years and we had Hanifin on our team.
He's got a cannon of a wrist shot. He literally has wristers clocked at 89MPH. Harder than a lot of slapshots in the league.
He is a top 5 D man in terms of phusicality.

Yes he makes weird decisions with the puck sometimes. Yes he says stupid things in the media sometimes, but he's a guy who is a difference maker when it matters. So much so that I genuinely thought we would get more for him than we would for Tanev.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Zadorov always wants more than he is worth. Just look at his contract history.

I hope he re-signs in Vancouver for $5+.

People will change their mind on him pretty quick when he's no longer shooting 19% like he was in the playoffs.

That's not why he's about to get paid.

 

[Bank Shot]

That's not why he's about to get paid.

Sure it is. Absolutely no one would be talking $6 million being reasonable if Zadorov's stat line was 1-2-3 in 13 games.

 

[Matty Sundin]

He’s gonna want a lot more than his buddy Gudbranson who got overpaid when he tested the market.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Within 2 years there will be Canuck fans complaining on free agent threads of this contract and what needs to be done to get rid of it.

Bookmark it.

 

[nucks88]

Within 2 years there will be Canuck fans complaining on free agent threads of this contract and what needs to be done to get rid of it.

Bookmark it.

Meh, obviously the Canucks are in a "win now" mode.....

 

[Vivaldi]

You mean how locked onto what Zadorov was through his entire career with the exception of the last 3 weeks of this past season?

Someone is going to overpay Zadorov badly for his playoff run, and I'm going to laugh.

No, he's pretty clearly been on this trajectory since getting traded to Calgary. Sutter helped him take a step forward and minimize a lot of the brain farts and inconsistencies that made him fringe before that. Figured a fan of a team with Hyman of all players would recognize a player taking a next step as they approach their 30s. Lots of people like you laughed at that contract too.

 

[Luck 6]

Sure it is. Absolutely no one would be talking $6 million being reasonable if Zadorov's stat line was 1-2-3 in 13 games.

Disagree. His contributions offensively were great, but the chances are that will not be a continuing trend. His contributions exceeded that, that’s kind what you need to be okay paying for.

 

[Vivaldi]

Sure it is. Absolutely no one would be talking $6 million being reasonable if Zadorov's stat line was 1-2-3 in 13 games.

He'd still be a better version of Brooks Orpik then who got 5.5x5 in FA a decade ago. Everyone laughed at that too but the team that signed him had the last laugh.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Sure it is. Absolutely no one would be talking $6 million being reasonable if Zadorov's stat line was 1-2-3 in 13 games.

He's getting paid because he's big, and mobile.

The offense he provided in the playoffs is a bonus but he isgetting paid because he's big and mobile

 

[NMacrules]

Zads probably already made a call to Tre. He'll be a Leaf.

 

[hockeykicker]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1800255737366802911

 

[vanarchy]

I see 6x6M with NMC first 4 years