Flames’ Nikita Zadorov requests trade out of Calgary, welcomes move to Toronto: Sources

Calgary Flames’ defenseman Nikita Zadorov has reportedly asked for a trade out of Calgary, as per sources within the league. Here are the crucial details:

• Zadorov, a pending unrestricted free agent, has expressed interest in moving to the Toronto Maple Leafs. His current cap hit stands at $3.75 million.
• The 28-year-old Zadorov is currently in his third season with the Flames and has showcased promising performance, tallying two goals and four assists in the 13 games he has played in the 2023-24 season.
• Following a 5-4 shootout loss to the Leafs, the Flames’ current standing places them at 6th in the Pacific Division with a record of 4-7-2.

How do the Flames proceed?

Who would have expected a hit from Zadorov on Tyler Bertuzzi to have such a far-reaching impact beyond the confines of Scotiabank Arena?

Zadorov, already set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, was one of the many players the Flames needed to evaluate. Being a robust defenseman, aged 28, and capable of contributing offensively (netting 14 goals last year), it comes as no surprise that he has attracted interest while the Flames consider a retooling.

Zadorov’s agent, Dan Milstein, shared the hit on social media and used it as an opportunity to advocate for more ice time for his client. On October 26, Zadorov played a season-high 22:19 against the St. Louis Blues. However, since then, his ice time has gradually declined. His time on the ice dropped to just 15:33 in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Leafs on Friday night. This, coupled with the viral hit, has brewed a potential storm for Flames’ GM Craig Conroy.

If the Flames decide to part ways with Zadorov, the next question will revolve around what Calgary would want in return, whether it be from the Maple Leafs or any other team expressing interest.

This could be their chance to amass draft picks or a young prospect for their roster. The team has expressed a desire for more youthful talent, and the Flames are in urgent need of speed and skill. This presents an opportunity for them to commence their reconstruction phase, even if it signals an unforeseen and messy end to Zadorov’s tenure with the Flames. — Julian McKenzie, Flames beat writer

What Zadorov is saying

Following Saturday night’s loss against the Ottawa Senators, Zadorov addressed the media regarding his purported trade request and voiced his “support” for his agent, Dan Milstein, and the latter’s social media posts.

“It was his decision to make that tweet,” Zadorov stated. “He definitely wants to protect me and wants the best opportunity for myself. So, I think he’s definitely helping me in that situation.

“I love my time being a Calgary Flame, and I’m enjoying it every day,” he added. “I love the fans, I love the city. Like I said last summer, I would love to be a Calgary Flame for my whole life. But the business side, sometimes, stuff happens. My agent’s got to protect me at some point.

“We’ve been discussing it, and I cannot really say a lot of stuff. Maybe it’s going to be time when I’ll be able to share it with you for sure.”

Zadorov was also questioned about his ice time in connection to Milstein’s social media post. The agent mentioned that Zadorov, “barely gets the ice time” as the Flames’ “best D”. The player’s ice time hit a season-low of 15:33 against the Leafs on Friday but improved to 17:39 against the Senators on Saturday night in a 4-1 loss.

“I’m not controlling it. I can feel whatever I want, but the coaches are controlling it,” Zadorov clarified. “My job is to go out there and compete. That’s what I’m bringing every night. At the end of the day, it’s my 11th year in the league, and it’s all about my teammates right now. I feel like, that’s not a proper situation for a team right now in this regard. I would be upset if I were them, if I see that from my teammate. I hope that they understand one day, for sure.

“I’ve been focusing on being a great teammate my whole life. I think if you ask the guys around the league who played with me… I hope nobody said a bad word about me. I would always step in for a guy. I would always help. I would always be for the guy and I would always kill for any of my teammates on the ice. That’s what I’m going to keep doing every night I get an opportunity to play in this league and be humble.”

Required reading

(Photo: Sergei Belski / USA Today)