Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs nearly had Nikita Zadorov but were just barely beaten out by the rival Boston Bruins, according to a report.
Per Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman on ’32 Thoughts’, he revealed that the Toronto Maple Leafs nearly signed defenseman Nikita Zadorov, with less than a million dollars seperating the two from a deal.
Zadorov signed a six-year, $30M contract on July 1st of last year with the Boston Bruins as a free agent.
According to Friedman, Zadorov had nearly joined the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, and very little separated the Leafs contract offering from the Bruins agreed upon contract.
What was learned about the offers Nikita Zadorov got from the Maple Leafs and Bruins
Elliotte Friedman reported that only $500,000 separated the Leafs offer from Bosfon on Nikita Zadorov in 2024, the Leafs being outbid by the Bruins for the defender.
Toronto chose not to push a deal for Zadorov above $6M, but were willing to go to $5.5M according to Friedman, although it’s not entirely clear if it was for the same term as Boston for five years, but Friedman saying it was the money different suggests the structure was similar.
Friedman didn’t go into detail as to what kept Toronto from going any further than their offer to Zadorov, but indicated a clear line that they wanted to draw on what they saw as Zadorov’s value, ultimately not too different from Boston’s evaluation.
Toronto instead on July 1st added defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a four-year contract at $3.5M annually, and Chris Tanev to a six-year deal at a $4.5M AAV.
How Nikita Zadorov could have changed the Maple Leafs’ blue line
Toronto could have had an aggressive bruiser in Nikita Zadorov who plays a heavy game and throws his weight around frequently.
One of the league’s biggest players at 6-7 and 255lbs, a GM like Brad Treliving would have been highly tempted to add such a body to the Leafs blueline.
The Leafs saw firsthand the physical presence that Zadorov brings this season as he delivered two controversial hits on Scott Laughton and Auston Matthews.Laughton left due to an injury from the Zadorov hit, that Laughton called a clean hit, and Matthews leaving after a hit in another game, although Craig Berube later clarified Zadorov didn’t cause Matthews to be injured.
Toronto made out with one of the Leafs best defensive defensemen in Tanev, and a reliable puck-mover in Ekman-Larsson, but Toronto could have a very different look had they been willing to pay just a bit more for Nikita Zadorov last offseason.
Previously on Hockey Patrol
