The Toronto Maple Leafs are projected to sign Nikita Zadorov once free agency opens on July 1, according to Josh Wegman of theScore.
The Maple Leafs are expected to be active in free agency, as Toronto already acquired the rights to Chris Tanev from the Dallas Stars to sign him to a multi-year deal to bolster their defense. However, Wegman also believes the Maple Leafs will sign Zadorov to a five-year deal with $5 million per season.
“Toronto still needs another top-four defenseman, even after acquiring Chris Tanev’s rights on Saturday. GM Brad Treliving tried to acquire both Tanev and Zadorov during the regular season, as he knows both from his days in Calgary. Treliving also covets size and nastiness on the blue line, and the 6-foot-6, 248-pound Zadorov brings exactly that. Zadorov, coming off a strong postseason with the Canucks in which he became a favorite among the media for his soundbites, seems built for the spotlight in Toronto,” Wegman wrote in his article.
Zadorov has been linked to the Maple Leafs already, so Toronto signing him once free agency opens on July 1 wouldn’t be a surprise. He completed his two-year $7.5 million contract with the Calgary Flames, which he signed on July 13, 2022.
Although Zadorov had success with the Canucks after the mid-season trade, Vancouver GM Patrick Allvin said the Russian defensemen would be hitting free agency.
“I can’t overpay one single player,” Allvin said (via TSN). “And Nikita Zadorov was extremely good for us in the playoffs and a character guy. We did our best and he decided he wanted to go somewhere else…
“For us, it’s just not about each individual. It’s about getting a team that’s competitive and fitting the puzzles in,” Allvin added. “We did our best and we can’t go any further.”
Zadorov recorded 6 goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 75 regular season games between the Vancouver Canucks and Flames. He added 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in 13 playoff games.
What is Zadorov’s Contract Going to Look Like?
Zadorov is one of the top defensemen available in free agency and is projected to get a multi-year deal.
In DailyFaceoff.com’s free agent projections using AFP Analytics, they project Zadorov to get a four-year $5 million in free agency.
Zadorov is a 6-foot-6 248-pound defenseman who has been in the NHL since the 2013-14 season. The Russian was drafted 16th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2013 draft and has also played for the Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks, Flames, and Canucks.
Maple Leafs Acquire Tanev’s Rights
The Maple Leafs acquired the signing rights to defenseman Tanev on June 30.
Along with Zadorov, Tanev was a popular free-agent target for the Maple Leafs and by acquiring his rights, they can start negotiating a contract with him before free agency opens on July 1.
“We want to jump the queue here as best we could and get to him before free agency started,” Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said, via Sportsnet. “I know the player well. We’ll get to work on it now… It’s exciting. A hell of a player. Tremendous person. He’ll be a big part of our group if we can get it all put together.”
Tanev recorded 2 goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 75 games between the Flames and Stars last season.
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