Nikita Zadorov drops truth bomb on why he left Canucks, signed with Bruins
Yesterday at 01:05 PM
Although Nikita Zadorov spent six months with the Vancouver Canucks, he found his home with the Boston Bruins. Although the Canucks want to reacquire Zadorov from the Bruins, the city, the franchise, and his teammates and coaches love him. After the midseason trade, Zadorov became a fan-favorite for his physicality, toughness, and embracing the Boston culture.
His play style paid off in a big way. Zadorov secured a six-year, $30 million contract, and found his specific role within the team. In an interview with RG, he explained the motivation behind signing with Boston.
"They didn't sign me to score goals or rack up assists. Yes, in last year's playoffs, I got lucky; they were flying in from improbable angles. It was my overall play, not my goals, in the Stanley Cup playoffs that had a very big impact on the level of interest that teams had in me in the offseason."
Bruins fans embrace Nikita Zadorov’s play style
The 12-year defenseman has a history of being an enforcer. While he’s not a goon, he’s not afraid to put the hurt on an opposing player. The statistics don’t show Zadorov’s impact, but his teammates and coaches know. Even the Bruins defenseman himself explained some of the intricacies of his actions during the game.
"In every game, there’s an additional battle happening within the game itself, and you aim to win that,” Zadorov said. “You need to do things that break the concentration of your opponents. The average fan might not notice this, and they'll think you're just getting some stupid penalty.
But really, you're sending a message here, either to your team or to the other team, and psychologically, you win out. You need to feel it – and I think I already have enough experience in both the regular season and the playoffs to know when and what to do.”
Some Bruins fans might feel skeptical about Zadorov, as he has the most penalties in minutes in the league (91). Again, his role isn’t to score, be a playmaker or initiate the offense. He’ll defend his side of the ice but put a hurt on people. The physical Bruins squad with Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand makes Zadorov a perfect match.
Furthermore, star power means that the physical defenseman can stick to his roots and do the dirty work. However, they might call on his number more to have a better record than 23-19-6 and 52 points. In a competitive Eastern Conference, the Bruins will need all the support they can get to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
The post Nikita Zadorov drops truth bomb on why he left Canucks, signed with Bruins appeared first on ClutchPoints.
