One of the worst free agent contracts was signed by defenseman Nikita Zadorov, who was signed by the Boston Bruins.
Zadorov was signed by Boston to a six-year contract worth $5 million a season, or $30 million in total. Although Scott Maxwell of The Daily Faceoff believes the Bruins overpaid for the Russian, he was one of the best defensemen available.
“Zadorov is a prime illustration of the two errors that teams make in free agency, particularly in the initial round. This season, the first error was attempting to take a lesson on winning from the Florida Panthers and ending up with the wrong one. When they actually won by being an excellent defensive squad with perhaps the top defensive forward and defenseman in the league, Maxwell wrote, most teams seemed to have incorrectly believed that the lesson was their being rough.
Even when teams obsessively adhere to that lesson, they still overpay for someone like Alex Zadorov when they ought to be searching for the less expensive version of himself. Maxwell continued, “Because Boston felt their physicality was the problem after losing to Florida in the second round, they overpaid Zadorov to get that done, which will probably hurt them in the long term.
The NHL analyst ranked the signing of Zadorov as one of the top five worst free-agent contracts ever made.
In 75 games played last season, Zadorov scored 6 goals and provided 14 assists for a total of 20 points between the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. However, the 6-foot-6 defenceman scored 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in 13 playoff games with the Canucks.
Why Did the Bruins General Manager Sign Zadorov?
Maxwell did not think highly of the Zadorov acquisition, while Bruins general manager Don Sweeney thought the player was a valuable addition to the squad.
In a media appearance on July 1, Sweeney expressed his opinion that Zadorov gives the defence core much-needed swagger and the capacity to play a lot of minutes.
For us, Z’s presence is significant. It takes a certain attitude to play a lot of top four minutes against elite players in the playoffs, according to Sweeney. “He has undoubtedly witnessed an improvement in his game and perhaps a slight definition of his abilities.
He spent a lot of nights out early in his career trying to make an impression, and like other young players who are active in that regard, he occasionally made it for both teams. He now has a clear understanding of his strengths and contributions, according to Sweeney.
According to DailyFaceoff.com, Zadorov is expected to play on the third pairing with Andrew Peekee.
Zadorov says he’s always wanted to be a Boston player.
After going unrestricted on July 1, Zadorov claims the Bruins were his primary choice for a new team.
The Russian defenseman is thrilled that he and the Bruins were able to swiftly reach an agreement on a multi-year contract.
In my eleven years, I haven’t heard a single negative thing about the Bruins, the team, or the players who were here. When we learned that the Bruins were interested in having me play for them, it was really a no-brainer for me. It involved both parties. Boston has, I believe, always been at the top of my list. On July 1, Zadorov told the reporters, “I feel like I always loved the Bruins style.”
The Buffalo Sabres selected Zadorov with the 16th overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft. Between the Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks, Flames, and Canucks, he has skated in 642 NHL games.
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