Nikita Zadorov has been recognized many times as a quote machine. He’s loved by media in practically every market he goes to because he speaks his mind and never shies away from stirring the pot a little. And recently, the Boston Bruins defenceman spoke his mind when talking about how negotiations with his former team went.

“Right now, it’s probably a little bit disrespectful to talk about your exes,” Zadorov said with a laugh on a recent episode of the What Chaos! Podcast. “We wanted to stay at the start…We tried to sort it out but there’s a point in negotiations when you check boxes and then a couple things didn’t go the way we wanted to, and [it] kind of felt a little bit disrespectful, too.”

The Canucks acquired Zadorov from the Calgary Flames early into the 2023-24 campaign, and the hulking blueliner quickly became a fan favourite in Vancouver. Zadorov’s playoff performances helped the Canucks reach game seven of the second round vs. the Edmonton Oilers, as he tallied eight points through 13 playoff games with the Canucks.

Zadorov said earlier in the offseason that the Canucks were his “first choice” in free agency before he ended up signing a six-year contract with the Bruins.

“We disagreed on the details before the playoffs and postponed the negotiations,” Zadorov said at the time. “After the playoffs, when I was in Vancouver, we tried to reach an agreement, but unfortunately, it didn’t work… Tocchet has a great system and is a great teacher who helps young players develop their skills. His analysis is excellent, and he understands how to prepare his players for each game.”

The Canucks visit the Bruins on November 26th, with puck drop set for 4 PM. They will then welcome Zadorov and Lindholm back to Rogers Arena when the two sides square off less than a month later on December 14th.