LATEST | Nikita Zadorov reveals his extension cost

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Felip Gosselin
December 18, 2023 (8:35 PM)

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The Canucks took everyone by surprise when they made the necessary moves to acquire the big and physical defenceman from the Calgary Flames, Nikita Zadorov.

ZADOROV'S ASK FOR HIS NEXT CONTRACT REVEALED

Elliott Friedman was on Donnie and Dhali earlier and made quite the statement about Zadorov's future and what he's looking for. According to Friedman, it would be unwise not to look at the past deals that Zadorov's agent, Dan Milstein, signed. Friedman compared Big Z's situation to the Ottawa Senators' defenceman Artem Zub:

''If you look at some of the previous contracts Milstein has done. I did hear in Calgary that the issue was that they weren't on the same page when it came to term. I looked at one of Milstein's previous deals, Zub in Ottawa. It's six years at four something, and I'm not saying it's exactly what he'd be looking at, but it's the template''

Currently in the last season of a two-year deal worth $7.5M ($3.75 AAV), at age 28, soon to be 29, Zadorov is looking for his last NHL contract. Dan Milstein likes to go for when renewing his deals, despite Friedman's beliefs, Zub signed a 4-year deal at $4.6M. A deal that kicked in at the beginning of the current campaign.

The expectation would be that Zadorov could ask for four years, possibly at a similar or higher AAV. Locking Big Z in Vancouver up to the point where he'd be 33 years old.