On November 30th, 2023, the Calgary Flames traded defenceman Nikita Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick.
Calgary traded Zadorov after he requested a trade through his agent. He was the first domino to fall and this trade would kickstart the selloff for the Flames. Let’s take a look at how this trade would age for both teams.
The Flames were just fine with the trade
At the time the trade was announced, many Flames fans were underwhelmed with the return of two mid-round picks. For me personally, I thought the deal was just fine. Getting two draft picks for a bottom-pairing defenceman is certainly not a bad deal at all, but media talk was inflating Zadorov’s value heavily.
Flames GM Craig Conroy vowed not to let players walk away without a return. With Nikita Zadorov set to become a UFA and the team struggling early in the 2023-24 season, the likelihood of him re-signing in Calgary appeared slim.
The fact that the Flames got two assets is a win in itself as it’s better than losing the player for nothing in free agency. With the 2024 fifth-round pick, Calgary would use it at the 2024 trade deadline to acquire defenceman Nikita Okhotiouk from the San Jose Sharks. This acquisition didn’t exactly pan out as Okhotiouk only played nine games with the Flames notching one assist.
Zadorov was an asset for the Canucks during the playoffs
Zadorov’s play instantly improved when he got to Vancouver. In 54 games with the Canucks, Zadorov scored five goals and 14 points, and averaged a +6 rating. However, he stood out the most during the Canucks’ 2024 postseason run.
He notched four goals and eight points in 13 playoff games, making a positive impact on the team, which significantly would boost his value on the open market. Once free agency hit, Zadorov priced himself out of Vancouver despite being a good fit there and would go on to sign a six-year, $30 million contract with the Boston Bruins.
Despite not being able to retain him, the Canucks were pretty happy with how Zadorov fit into their team’s dynamic. The trade was certainly worth it for them as he was quite a strong contributor during the postseason. You could say that he was a 1Win for Vancouver.
Checking in on Zadorov this season
Despite being a good fit on both teams, the Flames and Canucks are better off not giving Zadorov $5 million a year.
This season, Zadorov hasn’t been the same with the Bruins, as the entire team has been underperforming. in 25 games, Zadorov has one goal and seven points. A major flaw for him has been the amount of penalties he’s been taking, as he’s already accumulated 50 penalty minutes so far.
There’s already talk of the Bruins massively overpaying when they signed Zadorov to that contract and I have to agree. On a contending team, Zadorov is likely a third-pairing defender. Paying $5 million a season to a player like that is unjustifiable, as Zadorov’s value was heavily inflated due to his strong playoff showing.
It’ll be a contract that will age terribly in my opinion. Add to that the fact that the Bruins as a whole have been massively disappointing, and their playoff chances could be at risk.
