Nikita Zadorov Requests Trade Away From Flames
The Flames are a mess and each day that goes by that team becomes more and more like Cartoon Network. Calgary actually played well yesterday losing 5-4 in the shootout to a really good Leafs team. It turns out Calgary didn’t just lose the game. One of their top defensemen has also quit on the team. Nikita Zadorov requested a trade pretty much right after the game.
Kevin Weekes at ESPN was the first to report the news:
Let’s call it what it is. The Flames still suck even after they fired Darryl Sutter. You can’t blame Sutter anymore for this mess and it appears the players are losing it there. Zadorov, 28, is in the final year of a contract that pays him $3.75 million. Zadorov will hit free agency after the conclusion of this season.
One of the big problems for Zadorov appears to be ice time. Zadorov logged just 15:33 in the OT loss against Toronto. That was only more than fellow teammate Nick DeSimone (11:55). With Zadorov buried in the lineup on a bad team, that likely prompted him to want out.
“I don’t think so,” Milstein posted, replying to a Twitter user asking whether the Flames could keep Zadorov. “Not when the best D barely gets the ice time…”
I would guess that Zadorov gets his wish. It’s a matter of what happens after. Other impending free agents like Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin may as well start packing their bags if the sell-off in Calgary begins.
For what it’s worth, Zadorov can probably help a contender sure up their defense.
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