Bruins
“I think Boston was on top of my list my whole life. … I feel like the Bruins’ style, like I always loved watching them.”
The Bruins added a whole lot of snarl on their blue line Monday afternoon.
Shortly after NHL free agency commenced, Boston announced that it signed defenseman Nikita Zadorov to a six-year contract with an annual cap hit of $5 million.
The 6-foot-6 skater is expected to provide a new element to Boston’s top-four personnel on defense — with the 29-year-old building a reputation as one of the most bruising players in the league over the last few seasons.
Here’s five things you need to know about the Bruins’ new defenseman:
He’s a wrecking ball on the ice
Zadorov already boasts one of the most imposing profiles out on the ice at 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds.
And the Russian-born skater uses every ounce of that punishing frame to land welts against the opposition.
Zadorov’s highlight reel across the five teams he’s played for over 11 NHL seasons is inundated with the defenseman landing bone-crunching checks and boxing players out of Grade-A ice.
During the 2023-24 season — split between Calgary and Vancouver — Zadorov landed 177 hits and recorded 68 blocks over 75 games, adding six goals, 20 points and averaging 17:26 of ice time per contest.
In his 11 seasons, Zadorov has surpassed 175 hits in six of those campaigns — including a whopping 278 smacks in 2017-18 with the Colorado Avalanche.
While the Bruins benefited in previous years from Derek Forbort’s no-frills penalty killing and Matt Grzelcyk’s puck-moving capabilities, the presence of Zadorov on the left side of Boston’s defense will give Boston an imposing figure whose heft and willingness to drop the gloves should come in handy against teams like the Panthers and Rangers.
“It was no-brainer for me when we found out the Bruins were interested in me to come and play for them,” Zadorov said Monday of the appeal of playing for Boston. “It was mutual. I think Boston was on top of my list my whole life. … I feel like the Bruins’ style — like I always loved watching them, even my first years.
“My second NHL game was against Boston and they had those big guys: [Zdeno] Chara, [Patrice] Bergeron, [Milan] Lucic, [Nathan] Horton — a tough, hard team to play against. So I felt like one day, it would be a great fit for me to come and play for the Bruins.”
He’s more skilled than some might expect
Even though Zadorov’s size and knack for smashing players into the boards are the most evident hallmarks in his game, he’s not exactly a one-dimensional bruiser out on his shifts, either.
Zadorov’s first-round pedigree (16th overall in 2013 NHL Draft) was primarily a byproduct of his offensive upside present within his frame.
He certainly won’t be winning skating competitions against Connor McDavid, nor will he be posting 40-point stat lines in Boston. But Zadorov is far more agile and dynamic than his physical profile might present.
He showcased some of that high-end skill during Vancouver’s most recent playoff run this spring — scoring four goals and eight points over 13 games while logging 20:09 of ice time per game.
“The presence that Z brings is important to us,” Don Sweeney said of Zadorov’s impact. “Playing in a lot of top-four minutes in the playoffs against tough guys. Comes with a bit of swagger. Has certainly seen his game grow and probably a little more defined in what he’s capable of doing.”
Zadorov’s bread and butter in the NHL ranks will revolve around his size and ability to dish out plenty of damage with his physicality. But he’s also an underrated asset in transition — landing in the 94th percentile of zone entries, 87 percentile of zone exits and 90th percentile of possession entry prevention — according to JFreshHockey.
Landing hits near the blue line can go a long way toward limiting easy zone entries for opponents, but Zadorov’s frame, skating, and knack for shielding the puck make him a useful asset when Boston needs a safe avenue to push the puck out of its own zone.
He will likely be a top-four fixture in Boston in 2023-24
Beyond adding some physicality to Boston’s blue line, Zadorov’s presence should make things easier for the rest of the Bruins’ defense — especially if he’s paired alongside someone like Charlie McAvoy.
Beyond his ability to protect his teammates on the ice, Zadorov’s puck retrieval skills could free up a dynamic player like McAvoy to be more assertive down the other end of the ice.
“I’ve been watching him a lot. He’s one of my favorite D-men in the league, for sure,” Zadorov said of McAvoy. “And the way he played — he’s got some grit, the open-ice hits, I think that that will fit well with me. He played unbelievable in the Toronto series — it was definitely fun to watch, and against Florida as well.
“I gotta go up there and just complement him. … Maybe he can create something a little bit more offensively as well because he can trust me to be behind him, help him and be aggressive. I like his aggressiveness as well. I think it’s it’s important in this league so you can kill plays quickly and then don’t [give] the team much time in the D zone and neutral zone.
Zadorov could also slot in on Boston’s second pairing with Brandon Carlo, freeing up Hampus Lindholm to play with McAvoy on a stout top grouping.
He’s primarily been more of a third-pairing regular for most of his career, but Zadorov’s sizable pay raise with Boston (coupled with Sweeney’s preference of easing Mason Lohrei into the 2024-25 season on the third D pair) signals that the Bruins expect greater responsibilities for their new free-agent signing.
Penalties have been an issue in the past
Zadorov’s aggressiveness will be welcomed in Boston. But sometimes that desire to drop another skater on the frozen sheet can blow up in his face.
While Zadorov has tightened up his game a bit as far as freelancing and splintering his team’s D-zone structure in search of a big hit, he is still prone to spending a lot of time in the sin bin.
Last season, Zadorov took 39 penalties, which ranked fourth in the NHL and the second-most among all blueliners in the league. Boston has boasted one of the top PK units in the league for years now, but Zadorov’s smash-mouth approach might mean Boston’s shorthanded unit will be tasked regularly in 2024-25 and beyond.
Don’t compare him to Zdeno Chara
Given his 6-foot-6 profile and intimidating style of play, it should come as little surprise that Zadorov has drawn some comparisons to Zdeno Chara — even sharing a similar nickname, “Big Z”.
But speaking on Monday, Zadorov stressed that he no longer wants to be called “Big Z” as a sign of respect for the longtime Bruins captain and future Hall of Famer.
“I’m not even close. And I want to start with — I know like, with my past teams, people were calling me “Big Z”. Please do not ever call me Big Z now because I mean — I feel like I’m not even close to be called half of “Big Z”. He’s unbelievable,” Zadorov said.
“He’s one of the best defensemen of all time. There’s definitely a lot to learn from him. Obviously, he was one of my role models growing up because sof his size, kind of physical play and everything and the leader he is. I think I can learn a lot from him.”
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