Vancouver Canucks fans sitting on the edge of their seats wondering if defenseman Nikita Zadorov is going to be with the Canucks for the 2024-2025 season recently received two pieces of conflicting information that provide little clarity on the matter.
Zadorov has made it clear that he would like a long-term deal, spanning five or six years. The 29-year-old defenseman wants to stay on the West Coast and establish roots with his family.
The Canucks reportedly previously offered Zadorov a four or five year deal averaging $4.5 million per year, but he turned it down.
What is being reported about Nikita Zadorov's contract talks
Zadorov's agent, Dan Mistein, was in Buffalo for the NHL Combine, but he did not have a meeting with the Canucks. That news sounded daunting because July 1 is less than a month away. However, the Daily Hive reported on June 7 that Zadorov is willing to take a discount to stay with Vancouver. It is unclear if the discount is in dollars or contract duration.
The 29 year old veteran has been in the NHL for 11 years. The Vancouver Canucks are his fifth team. He also played for the Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks, and Calgary Flames.
The Hockey Writers rank Zadorov the third best defenseman among the unrestricted free agents. He ranks behind a pair of 30 year olds: Brady Skjei and Brandon Montour who most recently played for Carolina and Florida respectively.
Zadorov is not the only unrestricted free agent the Canucks have to figure out plans for. Elias Lindholm is ranked the third-best center on The Hockey Writers list. He is behind Matt Duchene of Dallas and Sean Monahan of Winnipeg. These are among the most critical issues to be resolved before the NHL Draft at the Sphere in Las Vegas beginning on June 28.