The Vancouver Canucks have held preliminary talks with the Boston Bruins about a potential Nikita Zadorov trade.
Could Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov end up back in a Vancouver Canucks jersey?
The Canucks and Bruins have had preliminary discussions regarding a potential Zadorov trade, according to sources close to Noah Strang of Daily Hive. Rick Dhaliwal also said on the Halford & Brough Show that Vancouver GM Patrik Allvin contacted Boston about Zadorov's availability, but there's been little traction on a possible deal.
That being said, it would also be difficult for the Canucks to make a trade happen given Zadorov's contract situation. He inked a six-year, $30 million deal with the Bruins in the summer. That includes a full no-movement clause for the 2024-25 campaign, per NHL Trade Rumors. Zadorov joined Vancouver in the middle of last season via trade from the Calgary Flames and proved to be an important piece in their playoff run.
The 29-year-old is a physical presence on the blue line and with the Canucks dealing with injuries to their defense, Zadorov would be a nice addition. Plus, he's already familiar with the squad. But, Vancouver would need to overcome major financial hurdles to make this happen.
In 26 games this season for the Bruins, Zadorov has one goal and six assists. Given his slow start, perhaps Boston is willing to move him. Filip Hronek is currently injured, which is a major loss for Vancouver.
Zadorov can waive his no-trade clause by approving a move back to the Canucks, but despite his lack of contributions early on, he is an important player for the Bruins on their blue line. Boston is also a playoff contender and could be unwilling to part ways, especially after he just signed a multi-year deal.
The Canucks are 13-7-3, which puts them in third place in the Pacific Division. This is a situation definitely worth monitoring leading up to the March 8 trade deadline.
