The Vancouver Canucks made some difficult decisions in terms of which players to retain and which to let walk. One of the toughest pills for Canucks fans to swallow was when playoff standout Nikita Zadorov walked to one of Vancouver’s biggest rivals, the Boston Bruins.
Zadorov, 29, signed a six-year deal worth $5 million annually with the Bruins just minutes after the free agency window opened. After his impressive playoff run, the rugged 6’6″ defenceman priced himself out of Vancouver. Zadorov kept his bully-type physicality but also brought offence to the table during Vancouver’s 13 playoff games, scoring four goals and eight points.
After signing with the Bruins, Zadorov sat down with RG.org’s Daria Tuboltseva to discuss his offseason and the reasoning behind his decision.
“Money is great, but I want to win,” said Zadorov. Throughout the article, it is also stated that it wasn’t just the Canucks and Bruins that made offers. One of Zadorov’s former teams, the Colorado Avalanche, entered the mix. However, the Russian defenceman decided to take his talents to Boston. “The Bruins were the best option, both in terms of hockey, which is always a priority, and family.”
Later in the interview, Zadorov revealed that the Canucks were his “first choice” in free agency, but that contract negotiations never materialized. “We disagreed on the details before the playoffs and postponed the negotiations,” Zadorov said. “After the playoffs, when I was in Vancouver, we tried to reach an agreement, but unfortunately, it didn’t work.”
And while an extension was never met between Zadorov and Vancouver, there were no hard feelings towards the Canadian market or his former head coach. “Tocchet has a great system and is a great teacher who helps young players develop their skills,” Zadorov said. “His analysis is excellent, and he understands how to prepare his players for each game.”
“In Canada, fans love hockey. For them, it’s a religion, a way of life,” Zadorov explained. “They might not like you, but they understand you’re just doing your job. I don’t think they hated me. Yes, I made some comments about Edmonton, and everyone understood it was just fun and friendly banter.”
