[ARTICLE] What it might take to sign Nikita Zadorov and if it makes sense for the Canucks

[Alflives]

42 minutes ago, Ballisticsports said:

 According to Irfaan Gaffar, the Vancouver Canucks offered Nikita Zadorov a four or five-year contract with an average annual value of $4.5 million, but it was turned down.

Zadotov will see what’s out there July 1. Then maybe he circles back to our offer. 

[HarbularyBattery]

11 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Zadotov will see what’s out there July 1. Then maybe he circles back to our offer. 

doubt it. management trying a lowball offer first

 

4.5 x 4/5 is a bad offer

 

management gets it done at 4.75 x 6. Very fair. Almost 30m dollars.

 

cap is also going to be flying up these next few years, will look like a steal very soon. 

[Ballisticsports]

6 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Zadotov will see what’s out there July 1. Then maybe he circles back to our offer. 

Prob, management did say they had a pecking order in place for signing their UFA ,it appears Z was at the top, now do they counter or target other options?  (while putting in offers to our other ufa they have a number on) ?

By July 1st there may be no money, whether he wants to stay, (and the Canucks would like him). JR likes to get a jump on his competition and PA leans on him and his team,

I am sure they already have a plan on what to pay or walk away from with each player in mind and need to build this team for the now and future in mind

[Alflives]

6 minutes ago, HarbularyBattery said:

doubt it. management trying a lowball offer first

 

4.5 x 4/5 is a bad offer

 

management gets it done at 4.75 x 6. Very fair. Almost 30m dollars.

 

cap is also going to be flying up these next few years, will look like a steal very soon. 

Can Zadorov handle top four minutes for the regular season? He’s never been able to before. 

[Goose]

If Z / Canucks cant come to terms, guaranteed Brendon Dillon will be a target.  Id love to have him on the team.

[HarbularyBattery]

1 minute ago, Alflives said:

Can Zadorov handle top four minutes for the regular season? He’s never been able to before. 

 

i think its all about system

 

vancouver doesnt give up much off the rush, everyone backchecks hard. makes it much easier on defensemen. thats why our usual "third pairing" guys have looked so good (soucy, zadorov, cole in the regular season)

 

zadorov easily brings us that kind of value. remember too he has a bomb of a shot. we badly need the offence he brings from the blue line too. 

 

we need big mean guys who can bully and punish other teams when they try to set up a cycle in our end. we dont give up much off the rush because we collapse hard in front of the net, it leaves us vulnerable to the cycle. zadorov makes them think twice about holding the puck too long. 

[Johnny]

The 4.5x5 likely isnt what the canucks are willing to pay. But they have to start low. I remember seeing a quote from zadorov saying he wants term more than dollars.

 

this is his 4th team and he wants to be a part of something, not just another depth piece

 

i could see 4.5-4.75 for 6/7 with a modified no trade with then next 3 years full no trade

[Alflives]

Just now, HarbularyBattery said:

 

i think its all about system

 

vancouver doesnt give up much off the rush, everyone backchecks hard. makes it much easier on defensemen. thats why our usual "third pairing" guys have looked so good (soucy, zadorov, cole in the regular season)

 

zadorov easily brings us that kind of value. remember too he has a bomb of a shot. we badly need the offence he brings from the blue line too. 

 

we need big mean guys who can bully and punish other teams when they try to set up a cycle in our end. we dont give up much off the rush because we collapse hard in front of the net, it leaves us vulnerable to the cycle. zadorov makes them think twice about holding the puck too long. 

Hopefully the club and Zadorov can come to agreement on his total money before July 1. 5 mil x 6 years is 30 mil. Maybe go seven years to drop the yearly cap? Heck, go eight years. It’s the yearly cap that matters to the club and the total dollars to the player. 

[RolexSub]

6yrs = $30M with no trade clause makes the most sense for both sides to sign!!! 

Yr 1: $6M

Yr2: $6M

Yr3:$5M

Yr4:$5M

Yr5: $4M

Yr6: $4M

 

Avg: $5M 

[Phil_314]

11 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Hopefully the club and Zadorov can come to agreement on his total money before July 1. 5 mil x 6 years is 30 mil. Maybe go seven years to drop the yearly cap? Heck, go eight years. It’s the yearly cap that matters to the club and the total dollars to the player. 

I'd do probably 6 years, he's 29 now and will be 35 by the time it's done.  He may be durable and mobile now but that could change by the time he's 36/ 37.  I think at worst at 35 he can just be a pricey 1-year vet instead of someone like Vlasic who's just stuck with the team if/ when he does start to slow down.

[Alflives]

Just now, Phil_314 said:

I'd do probably 6 years, he's 29 now and will be 35 by the time it's done.  He may be durable and mobile now but that could change by the time he's 36/ 37.  I think at worst at 35 he can just be a pricey 1-year vet instead of someone like Vlasic who's just stuck with the team if/ when he does start to slow down.

Zadorov will always be big, tough, and mean. Even if the last couple years he’s just a bottom pairing guy that’s hard to play against meanness is still a plus. 
The Empties are warming up to big Z at 5.25 x 7. 

[The Lock]

14 hours ago, SilentSam said:

 

based on this rumour ,

i doubt we have to beg ,  pretty sure he wants to stay here ,.

this was the money he was looking for when he went to Calgary ..

I think it more term at that figure..

or a little more money at that term.

 

personally I’d go term to 6 years tradeable at year 5 ,. Big D age well .

 

 

 

I'm glad to see movement here as it shows we're not just waiting on Hronek. I'd hate to see another Benning situation of waiting for an OEL deal to not happen BEFORE EVEN COMMUNICATING to your own players to get contracts done... which is even worse than waiting for Hronek thinking about it. lol

[RupertKBD]

Honestly, if Z is willing to take 5x5, I'd give it to him. Guys with that combination of size and skill don't come along all that often.

 

If the Canucks won't give it to him, someone else will....

[HKSR]

11 minutes ago, The Lock said:

 

I'm glad to see movement here as it shows we're not just waiting on Hronek. I'd hate to see another Benning situation of waiting for an OEL deal to not happen BEFORE EVEN COMMUNICATING to your own players to get contracts done... which is even worse than waiting for Hronek thinking about it. lol

They shouldn't have to wait for Hronek.  He's an RFA, so we retain his rights.  Get the priority UFAs done.

[The Lock]

Just now, HKSR said:

They shouldn't have to wait for Hronek.  He's an RFA, so we retain his rights.  Get the priority UFAs done.

 

I realise that, but Benning didn't have to do the OEL deal (that didn't go through at the time) before free agency either. lol

[canucks curse]

Zadorov is listed as LD/RD he took several shifts with Hughes on his right in game 6 and 7

[Tower102]

How do guys like him age? Big guys don't get the same kind of build up of injuries like little guys do. It seems like small skilled and fast forwards have shorter primes, opposed to the heavier guys that can transform into slower heavy games as foot speed declines. I see him being fit enough to play his game for a while but he is also a good skating player for his size which I feel like will leave him quickly. 

 

I'm mostly going off of what I would think makes sense, does anyone have any evidence to suggest players like him may age quicker or slower?

 

I think Zad is a top priority in figuring out his wants. He will likely price himself out which the Canucks want to find out right away so they can move on to the other priorities: Lindholm and Joshua where they likely already know the range they are in.

[HKSR]

8 minutes ago, The Lock said:

 

I realise that, but Benning didn't have to do the OEL deal (that didn't go through at the time) before free agency either. lol

He kinda did if the plan wasn't to keep OEL.  It held up a TON of cap space.  This time around we've got the cap space.  We're just trying to figure out how to use it best.

[HKSR]

1 minute ago, Tower102 said:

How do guys like him age? Big guys don't get the same kind of build up of injuries like little guys do. It seems like small skilled and fast forwards have shorter primes, opposed to the heavier guys that can transform into slower heavy games as foot speed declines. I see him being fit enough to play his game for a while but he is also a good skating player for his size which I feel like will leave him quickly. 

 

I'm mostly going off of what I would think makes sense, does anyone have any evidence to suggest players like him may age quicker or slower?

 

I think Zad is a top priority in figuring out his wants. He will likely price himself out which the Canucks want to find out right away so they can move on to the other priorities: Lindholm and Joshua where they likely already know the range they are in.

I'm thinking of Erik Johnson in his later years with COL.  He was still a very effective 3rd pair guy.

[PhillipBlunt]

10 minutes ago, RupertKBD said:

Honestly, if Z is willing to take 5x5, I'd give it to him. Guys with that combination of size and skill don't come along all that often.

 

If the Canucks won't give it to him, someone else will....

Exactly. He's the type of player that teams always want. He fits like a glove here, is loved by both teammates and the fanbase, and wants to be here. He's closer to a core piece than any other UFA the Canucks are looking at. 

[RupertKBD]

3 minutes ago, Tower102 said:

How do guys like him age? Big guys don't get the same kind of build up of injuries like little guys do. It seems like small skilled and fast forwards have shorter primes, opposed to the heavier guys that can transform into slower heavy games as foot speed declines. I see him being fit enough to play his game for a while but he is also a good skating player for his size which I feel like will leave him quickly. 

 

I'm mostly going off of what I would think makes sense, does anyone have any evidence to suggest players like him may age quicker or slower?

 

I think Zad is a top priority in figuring out his wants. He will likely price himself out which the Canucks want to find out right away so they can move on to the other priorities: Lindholm and Joshua where they likely already know the range they are in.

 

I think it depends on the player and there's no way to know how Z will age out.

 

Perhaps an extreme example, but Chris Pronger was still playing over 20 minutes a night at 38 years old with a pretty decent Flyers squad....

[The Lock]

8 minutes ago, HKSR said:

He kinda did if the plan wasn't to keep OEL.  It held up a TON of cap space.  This time around we've got the cap space.  We're just trying to figure out how to use it best.

 

But his plan was to keep OEL...

 

Still, not communicating is no excuse. I remember at the time constantly having to defend Benning. It was the 1st time where I legitimately could not defend his action, or lack of action. Tanev, Toffoli, Stecher... there was no excuse for not even giving them a phone call.

Edited May 27 by The Lock

[Mike Vanderhoek]

On 5/14/2024 at 3:57 PM, Northern_Nuck said:

Seravelli said yesterday that he believes the number starts with a 6. The Canucks are the ones who want to get him 5x5. 
 

 Seeing what he brings to the team this post season and down the stretch I hope he loves it enough to want to do 5.25 or 5.5.

 

Honestly we have no real idea what the numbers should be or are being discussed. It is all conjecture. You would have thought the multiple media " reports " from this last season of Pettersson (turning down $12m per or not talking with the team etc) which turned out to be completely false that maybe we would stop buying into these rumors. I don't even know how half of what comes out is deemed a " report " when its clear conjecture, armchair discussion and opinions not factual reporting.

 

That said and it may still come as a surprise to some but Zadorov is not going to earn $ 6 million range per season. He is a 4/5 tweener in terms of ATOI which he had his 3rd lowest ATOI of his career playing in Vancouver. He earned more ice time in the Playoffs which is great and needed for a team to succeed. His best utilization is really for Vancouver to have two 2nd pairs after Hughes and Hronek where the four defensemen all play in the 17:00 to 20:00 + mins range.

 

We get excited about this player and what he brings on and off the ice. I am going to throw a curveball and suggest he signs a longer term deal and may very well not even crack the $ 5 million per season mark.

[N4ZZY]

1 hour ago, HarbularyBattery said:

doubt it. management trying a lowball offer first

 

4.5 x 4/5 is a bad offer

 

management gets it done at 4.75 x 6. Very fair. Almost 30m dollars.

 

cap is also going to be flying up these next few years, will look like a steal very soon. 

Zadorov wants term right? 4.75 over 6/7 years is more than fair. 5M, maybe 5.5 over 6 years? 

[testycal]

12 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

Exactly. He's the type of player that teams always want. He fits like a glove here, is loved by both teammates and the fanbase, and wants to be here. He's closer to a core piece than any other UFA the Canucks are looking at. 

He is 29..a family guy with kids..probably likes the chic Vancouver lifestyle and wants to settle down for a while...kids make a difference especially when in grade school....with money in pocket and ability to afford the good life Vancouver is not a bad place to be.  And he likes his teammates.