Big, nasty Flames defensemen set to hit the open market on Wednesdaty, could be of interest to the Leafs
The city of Calgary was rocked with the news on Tuesday evening that Johnny Gaudreau would be departing on Wednesday as a UFA after lengthy negotiations and a strong push by the Flames to bring him back. Per TSN's Darren Dreger, another Flame is also set to hit the open market on Wednesday. 6-foot-6 defensemen Nikita Zadorov is expected to test free agency as well.
Zadorov is definitely known for his physicality. Last season, he was second on the Flames in hits with 181. That was 33 more than any player on the Leafs. Additionally, Leaf fans may also remember he was the one who levelled Toronto forward Ondrej Kase with a massive open-ice hit, resulting in a concussion to Kase and a response from Morgan Rielly.
Zadorov played 74 games for the Flames last season, averaging nearly 17 minutes of ice time per night. In those 74 games, he scored 4 goals and added 18 assists for a total of 22 points.
The 27-year-old was originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round (16th overall), back in 2013. Just two years after being drafted, he was shipped off to Colorado as part of a package used to acquire center Ryan O'Reilly. He then spent five seasons with the Avalanche, leading the league in hits during the 2017-18 season. He was then traded to the Blackhawks, in a deal that saw forward Brandon Saad go the other way. After spending only one year in Chicago, his rights as a restricted free agent were shipped off to Calgary, where they signed him to a one year deal worth $3.75 million last season. Now, he is an unrestricted free agent and set to hit the open market.
Zadorov is the kind of defensemen the Leafs should be looking for. He is a physical beast who can still play a regular shift. While he is a left handed shot, Zadorov can also play the right side of the ice. As a strong stay at home defender, he could be an ideal partner for an offensive minded defensemen like Morgan Rielly, or perhaps a young Rasmus Sandin. Salary cap constraints will be an issue here, as they always are, however if the Leafs feel he can add a missing element on the back end they could ship out one or two guys, perhaps an Alex Kerfoot and/or Justin Holl, to make room.
With free agency set to open at noon, things are about to get interesting..
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 12 | 511 ANSWERS Big, nasty Flames defensemen set to hit the open market on Wednesdaty, could be of interest to the Leafs Should the Leafs sign Zadorov? | ||
| Yes | 252 | 49.3 % |
| No | 105 | 20.5 % |
| Depends on the ask | 154 | 30.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
