[Report]: Term the main priority for Nikita Zadorov’s camp in extension talks with Canucks

[Sophomore Jinx]

Report: Term the main priority for Nikita Zadorov’s camp in extension talks with Canucks

© Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

 

 

Nikita Zadorov is already well on his way toward establishing himself as a fan favourite with the Vancouver Canucks, but the question remains how the team will be able to keep the pending free agent around past this year.

 

The Canucks acquired Zadorov from the Calgary Flames back in November. The 28-year-old left-handed defender has now appeared in eight games with the Canucks since the trade, collecting one assist and 24 penalty minutes to go along with a plus-five rating.

 

On Monday’s episode of Donnie & Dhali – The Team on CHEK TV, Don Taylor and Rick Dhaliwal discussed how the Canucks will have to navigate the situation with the UFA-to-be Zadorov, whose current contract carries a $3.75 million cap hit.

 

“Here’s the thing, Donnie. Everybody likes, loves Zadorov. Here’s the problem, he’s a UFA, they’ve got to sign him,” Dhaliwal said. “He’s going to ask for, and he will get, term. He’s 28 years old. He’s one of the youngest defencemen that’s going to hit the free agent market on July 1. Most free agent defencemen are over 30: 32, 33, 34. This guy’s 28.

 

“Term is going to be big for his agent, Dan Milstein,” Dhaliwal continued. “Most D are over 30, this guy’s younger, he’s gonna do fine, Canucks have a lot of time to get him done, Donnie, but his agent, Dan Milstein, was tweeting the money sign last week after one of the Canucks’ home games.”

 

Zadorov is one of five Milstein clients in the Canucks organization and could be in line to command the biggest overall payday on a long-term deal. The Moscow product has now appeared in 596 career NHL games with the Canucks, Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, and Buffalo Sabres, collecting 42 goals and 133 points.

 

The Canucks currently have just two healthy defencemen signed beyond this season: Quinn Hughes and Noah Juulsen. Filip Hronek is a pending RFA and will surely join that group in time. Extending Zadorov makes all kinds of sense.

 

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by Sophomore Jinx

[DeNiro]

I’m fine with term if he’s willing to sign under 4 mil.

[Nucker67]

Give that man term

 

 

 

 

[Jester13]

$30m total get it done?

[Sophomore Jinx]

8 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

I’m fine with term if he’s willing to sign under 4 mil.

I think that would be fantastic, but I wonder if cagey Millstein has other plans? He was flashing dollar sign emojis on Twitter haha.

 

I think other teams might bite, and offer more for the 28 year old, monster D, who is likeable and coachable.

 

Can we afford to not sign him though? I guess so, since the acquisition price was low, but I still hate pissing away any asset (including picks) with little to no return coming back....maybe recoup a slightly better pick at TDL?

 

I still would rather keep him in the lineup, so hopefully a deal can be made that is good for both parties.

Edited December 19, 2023 by Sophomore Jinx

[canuck73]

Rare size and speed combo... mean. Sign him up. Has to be better than Julsen etc. I'm partial to big mean defense... so I'm fairly biased.

[Dom]

Lock him the fuck up. Lets go. 

[Sophomore Jinx]

2 minutes ago, canuck73 said:

Rare size and speed combo... mean. Sign him up. Has to be better than Julsen etc. I'm partial to big mean defense... so I'm fairly biased.

All true, and I love the luxury of knowing that our D is in all likelihood a talking point now, and even scary to visiting teams 

 

Mean, big, and nasty D all the way!

 

Big Z, Soucy, and Myers in the playoffs will be fkn great, with the whistles tucked away, I can just see it now.

[Master Mind]

Get Pettersson and Hronek re-signed first, then explore the possibility of re-signing Zadorov based on remaining cap space.

[fanfor42]

Cap says can only sign 2 of 3 out of Zadorov Cole and Myers for next year.  Clearly sign Zad first then try to get one of the other two for 3M or less.

 

 

[The Big D]

Big D that can shoot, skate, sticks up for teammates… Get er done!

[Bob Long]

8 minutes ago, Master Mind said:

Get Pettersson and Hronek re-signed first, then explore the possibility of re-signing Zadorov based on remaining cap space.

 

Sign any of them in the order reasonable deals present themselves.

[Smashian Kassian]

4M x 5 years? 

 

6 years seems a little long but 4-5 is manageable if the cap hit is reasonable. 

[Sophomore Jinx]

Just now, Smashian Kassian said:

4M x 5 years? 

 

6 years seems a little long but 4-5 is manageable if the cap hit is reasonable. 

I take that deal all day long.

 

Even 6 years wouldn't be too bad, for 24 - 25.5 but maybe his agent will be thinking otherwise.

[canucks curse]

4 years is reasonable, 5 years is stretching it unless he wants to lower his cap hit, I am sure 4x4 gets it done 5 x 3.5mill might work too.

[Smashian Kassian]

Just now, Sophomore Jinx said:

I take that deal all day long.

 

Even 6 years wouldn't be too bad, for 24 - 25.5 but maybe his agent will be thinking otherwise.

 

If they are indeed prioritizing term this could work out for both sides, Canucks are better off going long here at a lower cap-hit aswell imo.

 

4-4.25Mish x 4-6 years is definitely a decent deal. He'd probably get atleast 5x5 or more on the open market, but its a matter if he likes it here (seems like he does) and we can get close enough to make it work. 

 

[Ghostsof1915]

5 Years, $22.5 Million, $4.5 million per?

No Myers we're still saving $1.5 million.

[BPA]

$4M x 8yrs = $32M total.  He’d be 36 yr old at the end of the deal.

[NoCupSyndrome]

So say they sign Z to a contract, does Soucy play the right side?

 

LHD

QH $7.85M (way more soon enough)

Hronek $7 - $7.85M (higher??)

Soucy $3.25M

Big Z $4M

Juulsen $775K

 

Approx $24M for just five skaters. Some young guys will need to make the jump.

 

I like Big Z but it does feel like this team needs another $6M type Dman? Or is strength by committee the best path forward? Will be interesting to see how Mgmt handles this. I assume extension was a heavy consideration when they traded for him.

 

 

 

 

[Metal Face Doom]

Anyone thinking he's getting the exact aav he's making currently is out to lunch.  It'll be between 5x5 or 5x4.5

[tas]

1 hour ago, Jester13 said:

$30m total get it done?

you want to give a 28 year old that's never been more than a bottom pairing dman, and left shooting at that, myers money?

[Northern_Nuck]

Everyone seems to want these big long term deals, but we have to think that Willander and Bruzstewicz will be competing for spots in 2-3 years and with us facing a 4M+ cap penalty coming soon, it’ll make sense to get a few rookies into the lineup. 
 

 So it makes sense maybe to have Hughes-Hronek-Soucy-Zadorov as our top 4 going forward, with rookies or vets on 1 year deals following this season. 

[RWJC]

I’d have no doubt that the Laffs will let Millstein slyly know how much they’d offer him as UFA. 
and I think it would be sizeable. 
as such, I think we might end up with what some consider to be an overpay in order to retain what might become an important piece over the term. 

My crystal ball says he gets 4 years at somewhere between 4.75 - 5.3 per with us. And 5-6 years between 5.75 - 6.25 from a team like the Laffs.

[RWJC]

3 minutes ago, tas said:

you want to give a 28 year old that's never been more than a bottom pairing dman, and left shooting at that, myers money?

Someone likely will, methinks.
Strong chance he ups his value with us as well during this season. Especially if he becomes a 2nd paring partner if we acquire another top 4 D.

Edited December 19, 2023 by RWJC

[VegasCanuck]

59 minutes ago, fanfor42 said:

Cap says can only sign 2 of 3 out of Zadorov Cole and Myers for next year.  Clearly sign Zad first then try to get one of the other two for 3M or less.

 

 

Did the analysis a few weeks ago, we can easily fit Zadorov in.