Latest report proves Nikita Zadorov was the issue in Canucks contract talks

With apologies in advance, here we go again in discussing Nikita Zadorov. When we last wrote about him earlier this month, we acknowledged he was part of the Canucks' past and needed to stop being talked about.

Our only defence, was that Zadorov had brought up his contract negotiations with the Canucks, which almost demanded that we offered our opinion. Particularly when he was trying to claim that they had disrespected him during the process, which we believe actually smacked of hypocrisy.

Well, more information has now come to light about negotiations between the two sides, although we'll acknowledge this time it isn't Zadorov bringing the subject up. Regardless, the new details only further enhance our opinion, that the Canucks are not to blame for how everything played out.

More insight on the negotiations

Giving due credit to Rob Williams of the Daily Hive, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK made an appearance Friday morning on Sportsnet 650, to discuss Zadorov and the contract negotiations with the Canucks. First, the point was made that he and his agent Dan Milstein 100 percent wanted to re-sign in Vancouver.

Now this comment has previously been made, and as we wrote at the time, we believed Zadorov's comments about the Canucks being first choice, should be taken with a pinch of salt. However, where things got really interesting, was when Dhaliwal got into specifics on Sportsnet 650, about how much the 29-year-old was being offered.

We had previously heard speculation that Zadorov was being offered $4.5 million annually, for four or five years. On Friday morning, Dhaliwal was even more specific, as he said the Canucks offered a four-year contract worth $4.6 million annually, prior to the start of last season's playoffs.

Nothing for Zadorov to be disrespected by

For Zadorov to feel disrespected by this offer, is actually ridiculous. First up, the deal on the table was longer term and a higher annual average than any contract he had ever previously been offered or agreed to in his NHL career.

Even if Zadorov and his agent wanted to take the position that he was going to be in high demand in the offseason, this still doesn't make the Canucks' offer disrespectful. Consider that it was only during the playoffs when he truly started to prove his worth and really show his talent, and again, the aforementioned offer was made before the playoffs.

Along these lines, the Moscow, Russian native was receiving his best ever contract offer in the NHL, despite a regular season which wasn't among his best in 11 years of NHL play. He only produced 20 points, his 0 +/- rating was the seventh-best of his career, his 68 hits were only sixth-best, while his 177 hits and 17 takeaways were both fifth-best.

Main issue over term

Dhaliwal went on to say Zadorov and his camp wanted five years, but the Canucks wouldn't budge. This would explain why Milstein admitted back in May, that he wasn't speaking to the Canucks.

Again though, as we've previously asked, does this really sound like the actions of someone claiming their preference was to remain in Vancouver? And to further this point, the Canucks did eventually offer a fifth year, but by then it was apparently too later and thus rejected.

This is all quite simply a ridiculous approach and conduct from Zadorov and his camp in negotiations. You felt disrespected despite receiving the best contract offer of your NHL career, and after having a an average regular season.

Look at yourselves when it comes to conduct

Then, when the Canucks do finally relent and offer the fifth year, you say this is too late now? Talk about behaving like petulant adolescents.

The reason it was too late, was because by then Zadorov and his camp had probably unofficially agreed terms with the Boston Bruins. This would seem to gain credence, when you consider the announcement of his six-year, $30 million deal with the Bruins came pretty much as soon as free agency began.

As noted before, we have no issue with any player trying to make as much money as possible in what is usually a short career in the grand scheme of things. However, the comments of Zadorov and his agent, combined with this new information, just makes the stance of his camp seem disingenuous.

Out of all the information which has come out over the months, there is nothing to suggest the Canucks were ever being disrespectful in how they conducted negotiations. Ultimately it was Zadorov and his camp which was the issue in all of this, not the Canucks.

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