The Calgary Flames are in a tough spot. After rumours circulated that it would be a busy offseason of retooling, general manager Craig Conroy instead chose to keep his roster mainly intact, hoping for a turnaround in 2023-24. It’s early, but a turnaround seems unlikely with this group.
While Mikael Backlund signed an extension, several other key pieces are in the final year of their contracts, including Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov. Reports surfaced that discussions had taken place with Lindholm, Hanifin, and Tanev, but a slow start to the campaign seems to have paused those talks. Meanwhile, Zadorov’s status hasn’t been talked about much at all, which is strange given that he should be the top priority to re-sign.
Zadorov a Reliable Third-Pairing Option
Though Zadorov isn’t a flashy player, he is extremely effective in a third-pairing role. He can match up against any line of the opposing team, is a solid penalty killer and is one of the scariest defencemen to go up against in terms of physicality. The 28-year-old has delivered a ridiculous amount of punishing body checks through his 10 seasons in the NHL.
If Zadorov is willing, the Flames should be more than happy to give him an extension with a cap hit similar to the $3.75 million he’s making. With the cap expected to increase by roughly $4-$5 million next season, that number is more than reasonable for a player who would be a very good fifth defenceman on most teams.
Zadorov as Passionate as They Come
Last season, many Flames fans became rightfully upset with reports that several players no longer wanted to be a part of the team. Though only one trade request came, it was hard to support a team with players who seemed to have checked out. But one of the few Flames who continued to bring his all each and every night was Zadorov.
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Not only did Zadorov give maximum effort, but he always seemed to say the right things to the media. He wasn’t afraid to call out his team when needed and was more than willing to take the blame when he felt he wasn’t at his best. Many started to see him as a leader, and early this season, he has been that once again.
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After the Flames’ slow start, Zadorov told reporters that there were too many players in the locker room playing as individuals rather than as a team. Despite calling his team out, he made sure not to call anyone out individually. It was a good attempt at a wake-up call to a team that Zadorov said would make the playoffs just a few short months ago.
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Though things didn’t turn around after Zadorov’s comments, fans appreciated that he wasn’t given the typical cliches that hockey players often use. After another recent loss, he apologized to all the fans watching for what he felt wasn’t a good enough effort from the team. It was once an honest assessment rather than a typical answer.
Zadorov Has No Interest in the Blame Game
During the offseason, it seemed many players were quick to pin their personal and team struggles on former head coach Darryl Sutter. While the 65-year-old is known for being hard on his players, he wasn’t the sole reason the team struggled, and so far, 2023-24 is proving that wasn’t the case.
While Zadorov admitted that he believed it was time for the team to part ways with Sutter, his reasoning was different than others. He instead suggested that the relationship between him and some of the team had become too toxic to fix.
In the same postgame interview where he called out the Flames for playing as individuals, Zadorov also brought up that they can no longer use Sutter as an excuse. As he pointed out, Sutter is gone, yet the struggles have remained. It was a fair comment to make, given how much complaining was done by many others over the course of the summer.
Flames Must Keep Players Who Want to Be Around
Zadorov seems to truly enjoy not only playing in a Canadian market but also playing for the Flames. On the ice, he has been as good, if not better, than anyone could have hoped for. Away from the rink, he has become an excellent leader, one who isn’t afraid to say what’s on his mind. Getting him signed to an extension should be high on Conroy’s to-do list.