Veteran Defenseman Believes Bruins Have Best Shot at Cup

Boston Bruins free agent pickup Nikita Zadorov believes his best chance at a Stanley Cup lies in Beantown.

May 10, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) skates against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period in game two of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Bruins have made some big signings as they look to finally get over the playoff hump, but one of them stands above the rest, quite literally.

Standing tall at 6-6 and 248 pounds, Nikita Zadorov adds a physical presence to an-already strong Boston blue line. The towering defenseman is in Boston for the long haul as he signed a six-year, $30 million deal last week, and his goal is to bring home some hardware during that time.

“I want [to have] my best chance to win a championship,” Zadorov said Monday, per NHL.com. “I’m really [invested] in what I do, and I’m putting all my heart into everything, and right now I’m here for six years and I want to put my heart into [being] a Bruin and to try to win a Stanley Cup in here.”

Zadorov, 29, is coming off a season in which he scored 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) across 75 games with the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks, as well as a postseason in which he scored eight points (four goals, four assists) in 13 games with Vancouver.

Scoring isn't what he's there to do, though. Instead, the Russian defenseman thrives because of his ability to shut down opposing forwards and lay the body, which he did very well last season with 177 hits on the year.

“The presence that ‘Z’ brings is important to us,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said on July 1. “Playing a lot of top-four minutes in the playoffs against top guys comes with a bit of swagger. He has certainly seen his game grow and probably get a little more defined in what he's capable of doing.”

Jim Montgomery's Bruins are coming off their second-straight playoff loss to the Florida Panthers, this time in the second round. If Boston is to get past Florida and the other titans in the Atlantic division, Zadorov and other newcomers will have to bring a new dimension to the team.

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