The Boston Bruins’ signing of defenseman Nikita Zadorov is considered one of the worst contracts in free agency.
Boston signed Zadorov to a six-year deal with $5 million per season for a total of $30 million. The Russian was one of the top available defensemen available, but Scott Maxwell of The Daily Faceoff thinks the Bruins overpaid for him.
“Zadorov is a great example of the two mistakes that teams make in free agency, especially on the first day. This season, the first mistake was trying to learn from the Florida Panthers on how to win, and learning the wrong lesson in the process. Most teams seem to have mistakenly thought that the lesson was them being physical when they actually won by being an elite defensive squad with arguably the best defensive forward and defenseman in the league,” Maxwell wrote.
“And even when teams hyper-focus on that lesson, they pay big money for a player like Zadorov, when they should actually be looking for the next Zadorov who comes at a much smaller price. Boston lost to Florida in the second round, thought the issue was their physicality, and decided to overpay Zadorov to get that done, and it will likely hamper them in the long run,” Maxwell added.
Zadorov’s signing was listed as one of the five worst contracts signed in free agency, according to the NHL analyst.
Between the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks last season, Zadorov recorded 6 goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 75 games. But, in 13 playoff games with the Canucks, the 6-foot-6 defenseman added 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points.
Bruins GM Explains Why He Signed Zadorov
Although Maxwell wasn’t a fan of the Zadorov signing, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney felt like it was an important signing for his team.
Sweeney spoke to the media on July 1 and said he felt like Zadorov brings much-needed swagger to the defensive core and the ability to play plenty of minutes.
“The presence that Z brings is important to us. Playing a lot of top four minutes in the playoffs against top guys, comes with a bit of swagger,” Sweeney said. “He has certainly seen his game grow and probably get a little more defined in what he’s capable of doing.
“Early in his career, he had a lot of nights out to try and make an impact, and he made it for both teams at times, like all young players do that are aggressive in that sense. Now he really understands his game and what he brings to the table,” Sweeney added.
Zadorov is projected to play with Andrew Peekee on the third pairing, according to DailyFaceoff.com.
Zadorov Says He’s Always Wanted to Play For Boston
Once Zadorov hit the open market on July 1, he says the Bruins were his top landing spot.
Zadorov and the Bruins quickly agreed to a multi-year deal, which the Russian defenseman is excited about.
“I haven’t heard a bad thing in my 11 years about the Bruins culture, Bruins team and the players who played here. Pretty much it was a no-brainer for me when we found out the Bruins were interested in me to come and play for them. It was mutual. I think Boston was at the top of my list my whole life. I feel like the Bruins style, like I always loved it,” Zadorov said to the media on July 1.
Zadorov was drafted 16th overall in the 2013 NHL draft by the Buffalo Sabres. He’s skated in 642 NHL games between the Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks, Flames, and Canucks.
