[Weekes/Dhaliwal] Zadorov Requests Trade, Canucks/Leafs Among Interested Teams

[Alflives]

15 minutes ago, Diamonds said:

Hanifin is absolutely good enough to anchor a 2nd pair and is also much better defensively than Gardiner ever was. Over the past 5+ seasons Hanifin has been with Calgary, he has averaged 21:30/game and 1:45/game on the penalty kill while averaging 0.43 points per game (or 35 points a season). The only defenseman who has averaged more ice-tike during that span in Calgary is Giordano and that includes the year he won the Norris. Oh and for some comparison, Gardiner averaged less than 20 seconds/game on the penalty kill in Toronto. Hanifin is a very good and well-rounded defenseman.

 

Obviously we still shouldn't be overpaying for anything, but Hanifin at 26 years old is pretty much a perfect fit with this current Canucks group.

Hanibun …

[wai_lai416]

45 minutes ago, Dankmemes187 said:

i like lacing 35+ contracts with bonus potential, maybe a 2x2.5 base with bonuses of a million... if he plays like he did this year he gets 3.5 million and earned it if he doesnt he gets 2.5 million and earned it...

he would likely be our 6th defenceman...

lol zadorov as much as you want to hate him with everything u got is better than myers soucy friedman juulsen and whoever that's playing in the top 4 right now

[IBatch]

On 11/12/2023 at 5:10 AM, Elias Pettersson said:

 

Zadorov's current CF% is almost 60%.  He's in elite territory.  It's been at almost 60% his entire time in Calgary, so we don't need to go back 3 years.

 

His on ice expected goals is almost on par with Vladislav Gavrikov who is an elite shutdown defenceman.  His on ice expected goal against per 60 minutes is also on par with Artem Zub, who is also an elite shutdown defenceman.  His on ice high danger shot attempts per 60 minutes again are almost on par with Artem Zub.

 

Also, Zadorov is actually a pretty decent skater for a guy his size.  He can move around the ice.  The way you talk you make it sound like he's Dana Murzyn and gets walked on every play, which isn't true.  Of course his penalties are going to be negative, the dude is a beast and knocks people down quite often, so he's gonna be a little more of a penalty machine than a guy like Ian Cole.

 

If you look at the Vegas defence, they also have guys like Zadorov on the team.  Brayden McNabb and Nicolas Hague.  They aren't the most mobile defencemen either, but Vegas was able to win a cup with both of them in the lineup.  Big and nasty Dman are hard to find.  Zadorov is a beauty.  He's a legit #4 Dman if used properly.  

Great points.    As for Zub... OTT fans love the guy, as soon as he touches the puck behind their net,  the crowd starts chanting his name like we used too with "Louuuuuuu",  ... freaks out if he scores or makes a solid defensive play.    As for AJ, makes some valid points too.    Come playoff time, these guys value goes up.   We don't want to make it easy for forwards, and having some "heft" isn't a bad thing either.   Cole - pointed out when we got him he's going to put us in the box now and again.    But in a good way.   Is anyone disappointed about his play?    With Friedman.   Zadorov is a legit target, biggest problem is he's with Calgary, he'd likely be the biggest trade we've ever made with them, and it won't be cheap.  

[tas]

3 hours ago, Diamonds said:

Hanifin is absolutely good enough to anchor a 2nd pair and is also much better defensively than Gardiner ever was. Over the past 5+ seasons Hanifin has been with Calgary, he has averaged 21:30/game and 1:45/game on the penalty kill while averaging 0.43 points per game (or 35 points a season). The only defenseman who has averaged more ice-tike during that span in Calgary is Giordano and that includes the year he won the Norris. Oh and for some comparison, Gardiner averaged less than 20 seconds/game on the penalty kill in Toronto. Hanifin is a very good and well-rounded defenseman.

 

Obviously we still shouldn't be overpaying for anything, but Hanifin at 26 years old is pretty much a perfect fit with this current Canucks group.

doesn't he want to play in the states?

[Déjà Vu]

By the sounds of it, toronto are the front runners for him, but guess only time will tell

[Bob Long]

1 hour ago, Déjà Vu said:

By the sounds of it, toronto are the front runners for him, but guess only time will tell

 

Toronto media says that about everyone.

 

TO doesn't have the cap options to get him unless they are willing to do something stupid like trade Nylander .

[Alflives]

1 hour ago, Déjà Vu said:

By the sounds of it, toronto are the front runners for him, but guess only time will tell

Good. We don’t want Hanamuffin. 

[Bob Long]

12 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Good. We don’t want Hanamuffin. 

 

How would TO make room? All those NTCs say no

 

 

Edited November 13, 2023 by Bob Long

[Alflives]

1 hour ago, Bob Long said:

 

How would TO make room? All those NTCs say no

 

 

Yup. Hanamuffin will end up in Florida. 

[Diamonds]

3 hours ago, tas said:

doesn't he want to play in the states?

Possibly. I previously stated that it would also be contingent on being able to talk extension with Hanifin before the trade. I was mostly just irritated by Alf saying he wasn't very good.

[Baratheon]

1 hour ago, Bob Long said:

 

Toronto media says that about everyone.

 

TO doesn't have the cap options to get him unless they are willing to do something stupid like trade Nylander .

And when has TO ever been willing to do something stupid? 

[Baratheon]

1 hour ago, Alflives said:

Good. We don’t want Hanamuffin. 

Easy now!  Hanibun was one thing but I happen to love a good muffin.  No need to hate on muffins!

[Alflives]

7 minutes ago, Diamonds said:

Possibly. I previously stated that it would also be contingent on being able to talk extension with Hanifin before the trade. I was mostly just irritated by Alf saying he wasn't very good.

[J-23]

Just go after Zadorov and Tanev then.

 

Hughes - Tanev

Zadorov - Hronek

Soucy - Cole

 

Or just run with Myers still, but this team needs a defenceman like Tanev.

 

Hughes - Hronek

Cole - Zadorov

Soucy - Myers

[Mike Vanderhoek]

8 hours ago, wai_lai416 said:

lol zadorov as much as you want to hate him with everything u got is better than myers soucy friedman juulsen and whoever that's playing in the top 4 right now

Debatable, if Zadorov ended up on the Canucks he would still be complaining about icetime through his agent.

 

Having a bottom four of:

 

Soucy

Cole

Myers

Zadorov 

 

Would definitely bring a much better balance of minutes, essentially having two 2nd pairings. But Zadorov as much as he'd be a quality add to the team's depth is not a top tier defenseman which again through his agent is the suggestion they are making lol.

[Johnny]

6 minutes ago, Mike Vanderhoek said:

Debatable, if Zadorov ended up on the Canucks he would still be complaining about icetime through his agent.

 

Having a bottom four of:

 

Soucy

Cole

Myers

Zadorov 

 

Would definitely bring a much better balance of minutes, essentially having two 2nd pairings. But Zadorov as much as he'd be a quality add to the team's depth is not a top tier defenseman which again through his agent is the suggestion they are making lol.

If the suggestion is he and agent think he’s a top tier dman he wont fit in with the cap, or the culture 

 

Players like that are not winners

[Bob Long]

watch him sign a long term extension with the F'Lames 

[Mando27]

I still think it's better if the Canucks just wait it out, let Toronto break the bank for him if they want.

[Sophomore Jinx]

Another article by The Hockey Writers, re-hashing common knowledge, but still decent enough.

 

 

Canucks Could Clear Logjam in Bottom Six With Zadorov Trade

 

Canucks Could Clear Logjam in Bottom Six With Zadorov Trade© Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

The Vancouver Canucks are off to a franchise-best 11-3-1 start and have blown the NHL away with their offensive prowess, stout defensive game, and Vezina-caliber goaltending courtesy of Thatcher Demko (minus the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs). Even though the rain has taken over the city of Vancouver, the sun is shining in November for Canucks Nation for the first time in a long time. So much so that the front office wants to keep the good times rolling with trades to upgrade the team.

 

One area the Canucks still want to improve is their defence, particularly their NHL depth. As of right now, all six defencemen are playing efficient and structured hockey, leading to the fourth-best goals-against-per-game average (2.20) in the league. But one injury – like the recent one to Carson Soucy – can derail all that, forcing the likes of Noah Juulsen, Matt Irwin, and other okay, but ultimately average defencemen into action.

Since the beginning of the season, rumours of an Ethan Bear and Chris Tanev reunion have come up across the news wire, and now Nikita Zadorov has been added to the list after he asked for a trade following the Calgary Flames’ loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday (Nov. 10). What’s interesting to note is that he’s a client of Dan Milstein’s, the same agent that represents Andrei Kuzmenko, Ilya Mikheyev, and prospect Kirill Kudryavtsev.

 

What Would Zadorov Bring to the Canucks’ Blue Line?

According to Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal, the Canucks have been interested in Zadorov for a while. Now that he’s requested a trade, it’s more and more likely that he could be heading to Vancouver. His agent knows the Canucks very well and has a great relationship with general manager Patrik Allvin, so if any team has a leg up, it would be the Canucks. Having said that, trades are not executed between agents and GMs, so it might be a moot point.

But, is Zadorov the right fit for the blue line led by early Norris Trophy contender Quinn Hughes? Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres 16th overall in 2013, he is a rough-and-tumble defenceman with a bit of an underrated offensive game. He scored a career-high 14 goals last season and has been known to throw the body (a lot) and block shots. He has hit triple digits in hits in seven straight seasons and has turned himself into a pretty reliable two-way defenceman. His style appears to be a lot like Ian Cole and Carson Soucy – two new additions that have seamlessly integrated themselves into the new blue line controlled by assistant coach Adam Foote.

 

Another interesting fact is that Foote was with the Avalanche as a development consultant when Zadorov was part of the team between 2015 and 2017. So he might know a thing or two about what the former Av and Sabre could bring to his current group of defencemen. All in all, he could be a great addition to the blue line, and help clear a logjam in the process.

Beauvillier Could Be Moved To Clear Logjam in Bottom Six

With the return of Teddy Blueger, the Canucks have a logjam in the bottom six. While Jack Studnicka will likely be the odd man out going back to Abbotsford, that still leaves at least one forward that will be rotated in and out when they don’t deserve to be. Particularly Nils Hoglander, who has already been a healthy scratch twice this season when he’s arguably been the best and most consistent bottom-six forward – both offensively and defensively.

 

The Canucks have been trying to clear that logjam since the beginning of the season when Conor Garland and his agent were given permission to seek out a trade. Fast forward to mid-November and Garland is still here and the tune of the Canucks has changed to keeping the former Arizona Coyote and potentially moving Anthony Beauvillier.

Beauvillier was acquired in the trade that sent former captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders, and after a strong start to his Canucks tenure where he scored nine goals and 20 points in 33 games last season, he has hit a snag early on in 2023-24. He just scored his first two goals of the season against the lowly San Jose Sharks on Nov. 2 and has gone pointless in 12 of the 16 games he’s played so far. He has also been relegated from the top line with Pettersson to the fourth line with Sam Lafferty and the aforementioned Hoglander.

 

Beauvillier will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) this offseason, and even if the Canucks are firmly in the playoffs by the trade deadline, he could be a candidate to be moved. That is if he isn’t moved before then in a trade for Zadorov.

Beauvillier/Zadorov One-for-One Swap?

In addition to the logjam in the bottom six, the Canucks also have one in regards to their cap space. According to Cap Friendly, they have zero space right now and will have to move money out if they want to engage in any trade talks. So, if Allvin truly wants Zadorov on his blue line, he will have to either trade Beauvillier or Garland in another deal or for Zadorov straight up.

The Canucks would actually be saving money if they were to convince Flames GM Craig Conroy to part with Zadorov for only Beauvillier. Zadorov carries a cap hit of $3.75 million while Beauvillier is at $4.15 million. It’s not a lot, but every bit counts when you’re so close to the ceiling. Both of them are UFAs at the end of the season, so both teams would not be losing anything if things didn’t work out.

Canucks Are Rolling, Should They Disrupt Chemistry?

The one thing about a trade right now is the potential of disrupting the chemistry that has been formed in the defence corps. Every pairing is running like a well-oiled machine, with Hughes and Filip Hronek dominating at the top and Soucy, Tyler Myers, Cole and Mark Friedman efficiently playing behind them. Would adding Zadorov make them better or worse? He’s also another left-hand shot, further increasing the imbalance of right vs. left-handers on the team.

Friedman would likely be the odd man out if Zadorov was added, forcing Cole back to the right side. A pairing of Zadorov and Cole would be a handful to play against, but considering Friedman has played well up to this point, does he deserve to be given the short end of the stick? Granted, the Canucks would be a stronger team with Friedman as the seventh defenceman, but I’m not sure now is the best time to mess with the blue line even if it seemingly improves it on paper.

We will just have to see what happens. Even though the Canucks are interested doesn’t mean they will land Zadorov. There are reportedly a lot of teams in the running for his services, and the Flames will be taking their time in making a trade. Stay tuned, because this doesn’t look a situation that will be resolved any time soon.

Edited November 13, 2023 by Sophomore Jinx

[aGENT]

9 hours ago, Diamonds said:

Hanifin is absolutely good enough to anchor a 2nd pair and is also much better defensively than Gardiner ever was. Over the past 5+ seasons Hanifin has been with Calgary, he has averaged 21:30/game and 1:45/game on the penalty kill while averaging 0.43 points per game (or 35 points a season). The only defenseman who has averaged more ice-tike during that span in Calgary is Giordano and that includes the year he won the Norris. Oh and for some comparison, Gardiner averaged less than 20 seconds/game on the penalty kill in Toronto. Hanifin is a very good and well-rounded defenseman.

 

Obviously we still shouldn't be overpaying for anything, but Hanifin at 26 years old is pretty much a perfect fit with this current Canucks group.

 

If we're giving up the trade assets that would be required to add Hanifin, I'd far prefer to just keep going and pay up to target Andersson. 

 

If you can add Zadorov as well for a reasonable price, great. Otherwise target him as a UFA.

 

Next year...

 

Hughes, Hronek

Zadorov, Andersson 

Soucy, Friedman/prospect

[BC_Hawk]

16 minutes ago, aGENT said:

 

If we're giving up the trade assets that would be required to add Hanifin, I'd far prefer to just keep going and pay up to target Andersson. 

 

If you can add Zadorov as well for a reasonable price, great. Otherwise target him as a UFA.

 

Next year...

 

Hughes, Hronek

Zadorov, Andersson 

Soucy, Friedman/prospect

For me, I like the idea of Zadorov for 2 reasons: 1) Free audition on a player PA was apparently going to target 2) Wouldn't cost the farm like Hanafin; hopefully a 3rdish and Beau

 

In addition, I love Coles game. I'd use him as a 1-2 year bridge until one of Willander, Mcward, Petterson, etc are ready for the jump.

 

24/25

Hughes-Hronek

Zadorov-Cole

Soucy- Mcward, Friedman, Petterson.......

 

25/26

Hughes-Hronek

Zadorov-Willander

Soucy- Mcward, Friedman, Petterson.......

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

3 hours ago, Alflives said:

Yup. Hanamuffin will end up in Florida. 

 

I hope he does, and we can somehow pry Ekblad from the Panthers.

[J-23]

10 minutes ago, BC_Hawk said:

For me, I like the idea of Zadorov for 2 reasons: 1) Free audition on a player PA was apparently going to target 2) Wouldn't cost the farm like Hanafin; hopefully a 3rdish and Beau

 

In addition, I love Coles game. I'd use him as a 1-2 year bridge until one of Willander, Mcward, Petterson, etc are ready for the jump.

 

24/25

Hughes-Hronek

Zadorov-Cole

Soucy- Mcward, Friedman, Petterson.......

 

25/26

Hughes-Hronek

Zadorov-Willander

Soucy- Mcward, Friedman, Petterson.......

 

Looks good to me. I would also like to add Tanev, a good placeholder for the next year or two until Willander is ready to go. I like the way management has planned for the future with our defensive core. This is how I would hope it goes.

 

24/25

Hughes - Tanev, Hronek

Zadorov - Hronek, Tanev

Soucy - Cole, McWard, Woo

 

25/26

Hughes - Hronek, Tanev

Zadorov - Tanev, Hronek

Soucy - McWard, Cole, Willander, Woo, Hunter

 

26/27

Hughes - Hronek, Willander

Zadorov - Hronek, Willander

Pettersson - McWard, Tanev, Hunter, Woo

[Rusty Shackleford]

1st + Hunter Brzustewicz + Beauvillier to Panthers for Ekblad.  They can parlay the first in a package for Hanafin.

 

Sign Zadorov in UFA

 

Hughes - Ekblad

Zadorov - Hronek

Soucy - Cole

 

[Diamonds]

1 hour ago, aGENT said:

 

If we're giving up the trade assets that would be required to add Hanifin, I'd far prefer to just keep going and pay up to target Andersson. 

 

If you can add Zadorov as well for a reasonable price, great. Otherwise target him as a UFA.

 

Next year...

 

Hughes, Hronek

Zadorov, Andersson 

Soucy, Friedman/prospect

I would love to bring in Andersson, but I honestly don't think we have to assets for it. I'm not convinced Calgary is ready to rebuild and with Andersson still having some term they would be looking for a good roster player in return. Petey, Hughes, and Demko are obviously all off the table which basically leaves Miller and Hronek. Swapping Hronek for Andersson doesn't really make sense so now it just Miller. Something like Miller for Andersson and Sharangovich (2C upside) might work, but that's a big price to pay. Also might be able to do Miller + a 1st for Lindholm + Andersson but then you have to start worrying about team chemistry.

 

On the other hand, if they for some reason want a scoring winger, Boeser's resurgence might appeal to them and Boeser + a 2nd for Andersson might work. I don't think they want scoring wingers though.