The Bruins have signed veteran defenseman Nikita Zadorov to a 6-Year 30 Million dollar deal. Zadorov most recently played for the Vancouver Canucks after being traded to them from Calgary during last season. This was a much-needed signing by the Bruins to boost their defense, especially with the departure of Derrick Forbert and Matt Grzelcyk who both signed with Vancouver.
Zadorov averaged 17:26 of Ice time between Vancouver and Calgary last season, 1:34 of that being on the penalty kill. At 6’6” he has great size and is a player that looks like he was built to play in the playoffs. That size will also be useful on the penalty kill, potentially pairing him with 6’5” Brandon Carlo on the top defensive pair. Zadorov has also proven himself to be durable, not missing a significant amount of games during any of the past seven seasons.
The Bruins now have an excellent top two defensive pairs, with the third pair still being in flux. It will be interesting to see who Coach Jim Montgomery decides to place Zadorov alongside this upcoming season. Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm showed great chemistry last season, but knowing Coach Montgomery’s history, he will most likely be switching up the pairs throughout the season.
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