Nikita Zadorov delivers harsh truth about his decision to leave the Canucks

PUBLICATION

Cooper Godin
July 23, 2024 (6:30 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Former Canucks defenceman recently shared that returning to Vancouver was his first choice before signing a long-term deal with the Boston Bruins on the opening day of free agency.

When the National Hockey League's free agency window opened on Monday, July 1st, defenceman Nikita Zadorov officially left the Vancouver Canucks organization and signed a six-year deal worth $30 million ($5 million AAV) with the Boston Bruins that'll keep him in Beantown until after the 2029-30 season.

Zadorov recently sat down for an interview with Daria Tuboltseva of RG.org and shared that returning to Vancouver was his first choice in free agency. Still, contract talks between his side and the Canucks didn't work out. He added that they disagreed on the terms of a new contract before the playoffs and decided to put off any further discussions until the Canucks' post-season run came to an end. But they couldn't get a contract done at the end of the day, allowing Zadorov to become a UFA on Canada Day.

"We disagreed on the details before the playoffs and postponed the negotiations, Zadorov said. After the playoffs, when I was in Vancouver, we tried to reach an agreement, but unfortunately, it didn't work."

Zadorov went on to add that along with the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins, one of his former teams, the Colorado Avalanche, also entered the mix. Still, ultimately, they didn't land him and went with Erik Brannstrom, Calvin de Haan, Calle Rosen and Jacob McDonald to round out their defensive core, while adding some much-needed depth.

The Moscow native was solid during his tenure with the Vancouver Canucks, appearing in 54 regular season games following his trade from Calgary, where he registered 14 points (five goals, nine assists), 102 penalty minutes and was a plus-six. He added eight points in 13 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.