With Vancouver Canucks defenceman Nikita Zadorov officially set to hit the free agent market on Monday at 12 pm ET, there may be quite a bit of interest in him, including from a Canadian team.
Zadorov's performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is what teams are looking for this summer - a big, rugged defenceman who can play in any situation and over 18 minutes a night, and will drive up his price tomorrow on the open market.
Zadorov, a native of Moscow, Russia, was one of the first big trades of the 2023-24 campaign, being dealt from Calgary to Vancouver in late-November. The 29-year-old had 20 points (six goals, 14 assists), 125 penalty minutes and had an even-rating in 75 regular season games. He took his game to the next level in the playoffs and at times, was one of the Canucks' best defencemen, putting up eight points in 13 games.
The 29-year-old Zadorov may not be the only former Vancouver Canucks defenceman that the Toronto Maple Leafs will be targeting on Monday. TSN's Darren Dreger is reporting that even after trading for Chris Tanev's rights, 2024 Stanley Cup champion Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a target for the Maple Leafs.
We'll have to wait and see what tomorrow brings, but it looks like a pair of former Canucks defenceman could be back in Canada tomorrow and in one of the biggest markets in the entire National Hockey League.
