Nikita Zadorov has never lacked for confidence, swagger or strong opinions. The hulking unrestricted free agent (UFA) defenceman has played for five NHL teams and it could be a sixth if his camp can’t reach contract terms with the Vancouver Canucks . That final line in the negotiation sand was supposed be drawn on the weekend with a last offer, but it’s not a stretch to suggest that Zadorov isn’t losing sleep over the chess match to determine his long-term worth.
He knows his game. He knows his worth. He’d like to stay .
However, he’s going to earn as much as US$6 million annually in free agency. Zadorov, 29, quickly became a fan favourite for his fresh, frank and funny demeanour, and for delivering thundering hits on an expiring $3.75 million salary-cap hit.
A leap to $6 million for a third-pairing, left-shot defenceman is massive, but intangibles suggest $5 million might be workable. He had turned down $4.5 million and maybe there’s wiggle room with contract term.
Still, in a bottom-line business, the Canucks have to eventually draw a line and could walk away. But with UFA depth defenceman Ian Cole expected to test the market, there could be two back-end holes to fill. A potential bottom-pairing fit fizzled Friday when the Carolina Hurricanes signed former Canuck and pending right-shot UFA Jalen Chatfield, 28, to a three-year, $9 million extension.
At age 33, UFA Brenden Dillion might be a placeholder fit on limited term because he has the size at 6-foot-4, 225 .
