On Friday afternoon, Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced that defenseman Nikita Zadorov would not be returning to the team and opting to pursue a new deal with another team.
The news shocked many, as Allvin had offered two draft picks (a third and a fifth) for Zadorov's services on Nov. 30, 2023.
During his brief stint with the Canucks, he grew into a fan favorite who scored 14 points in 54 games. In the playoffs, his legacy grew with eight points in 13 games and many highlight reel body checks.
Outside of his hilarious post-game interviews, it appeared the match between Zadorov and the Canucks would continue for years to come.
However, the 28-year-old Russian defenseman is on the verge of the biggest payday of his NHL career, so who is to blame him for seeking a higher-paying opportunity?
The question is, are the New Jersey Devils interested?
Calculating Zadorov's Salary and Role With the Devils
According to CapFriendly, Zadorov skated out the final season of a two-year deal he signed with the Calgary Flames in 2022, valued at $3.75 million annually.
Considering how valuable he proved to be on the Western Conference's top team and the statistics he provided in the playoffs, there's a good chance he will crack at least $5 million a year on his next deal.
Heading into the offseason, Dougie Hamilton, the most expensive defenseman in the New Jersey lineup, makes $9 million annually but missed most of the 2023-24 season with an injury.
No one registered more than 127 hits during the 2022-23 season when the Devils lost in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Zadorov had 174 and 21 points in 82 games that year.
Last season, Curtis Lazar led New Jersey with 179 hits and 25 points in 71 games as a center. Newly departed Kevin Bahl led defenders with 151 hits and just 11 points.
Zadorov's 177 hits would have placed him second on the team, and with 20 points, he would have been the third-highest-scoring defenseman behind Luke Hughes (47) and John Marino (25).
The Devils currently have $15,273,603 in available cap space. They recently acquired their number-one goalie, Jacob Markstrom, who has a history of playing behind Zadorov in Calgary.
Even though it is premature to think about the future, in the summer of 2025, General Manager Tom Fitzgerald will have to offer new contracts for RFAs Luke Hughes and Alexander Holtz.
Neither of those deals will break the bank, but if Fitzgerald goes all-in on Zadorov and offers him a blank check worth more than $5 million for the next five or six seasons, there's a chance the deal could age badly pretty quickly.
In 11 seasons, Zadorov has played just 55 games outside of the Western Conference, which occurred at the beginning of his career with the Buffalo Sabres from 2013-2015.
Of course, he could sign anywhere and make an immediate impact. Yet, New Jersey doesn't seem like an ideal landing spot.
Fitzgerald is building something special in Newark, and Zadorov joining the ranks would accelerate that, but is the cost and term worth it?
Zadorov employs unique skills but is best suited for West Coast hockey, which is not the speed and finesse style most East Coast teams employ.
Although acquiring him would not cost the same price the Pittsburgh Penguins paid for Erik Karlsson last season, as evidenced by his setback season, some players don't work out in specific environments, so Zadorov should stay in the West and find success outside New Jersey.
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