Following the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ whacky 5-4 shootout win over the Calgary Flames, big news came out of Calgary. After scoring a goal and making a big hit on Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi, Flames defenceman Nikita Zadorov requested a trade from the club. This immediately grabbed the attention of Maple Leafs fans, as it was previously reported by Kevin Weekes that the Original Six club had already expressed interest in Zadorov before his trade request. With that, NHL insider Chris Johnston later reported that Zadorov would welcome a move to Toronto.
Yet, it appears that not only the Maple Leafs’ front office wants Zadorov to join the Blue and White after a recent report. Let’s dive into this now.
Unnamed Maple Leaf Player Wants Zadorov In Toronto
In his most recent 32 Thoughts podcast episode, Elliotte Friedman reported something quite intriguing. The NHL insider revealed that there is word going around that a Maple Leaf player said to Zadorov during their game against the Flames that the 6-foot-6 defenceman is “exactly what we (Maple Leafs) need.” Friedman, however, also said that his source would not tell him who the specific Maple Leaf was.
Although the Flames only played under 16 minutes against the Maple Leafs in their last matchup, he was quite noticeable. As noted above, he scored a goal in the contest and threw a memorable hit on Bertuzzi. As a result, it is understandable that this unsaid Maple Leaf wants Zadorov in Toronto. However, let’s dive into this a bit more.
Why Zadorov Is What the Maple Leafs Need
When looking at Zadorov’s style of play, it is easy to comprehend why he would be a big-time addition to the Maple Leafs. First, the 2013 first-round pick uses his large size to his advantage, as he plays an immensely physical game and makes it quite challenging for the opposition to go up against him because of it. When noting Maple Leafs general manager (GM) Brad Treliving has made it his goal to make the Maple Leafs have more snot, bringing in Zadorov would only help with that objective.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Chances of Landing Flames’ Zadorov Have Increased
When it comes to his defence, Zadorov is also quite reliable for the most part. This is something that would be met with open arms by the Maple Leafs, as they have had struggles in their own end this campaign. This has led to some tough losses early on, and adding a defence-first kind of player like Zadorov may help stop the bleeding in that regard.
Finally, besides playing a very physical game and being dependable on defence, Zadorov sneakily contributes with decent offence. This past season with the Flames, he had a notable 14 goals to go along with 21 points in 82 games. With that, he also has been off to a good start this campaign in that regard, as he has five points in 13 games.
However, the Maple Leafs primarily need Zadorov on their blue line because of his aforementioned physicality and toughness. He would not only protect the Maple Leafs’ top stars but also contribute to both sides of the rink. Thus, it makes sense that this unspecified Maple Leaf wants the club to land him.
Marek Speculates It Was Domi
Fellow NHL insider Jeff Marek asked Friedman during the episode if Max Domi was the player who said this to Zadorov. While Friedman is not sure who the player is, he did think that it was a good guess by Marek.
As addressed in the podcast, Domi and Zadorov were teammates together in the OHL with the London Knights. Thus, they know each other well, and that could have made Domi comfortable saying that to the hulking defenceman in the middle of a game. Thus, Marek’s guess is a reasonable one, but we, of course, do not have confirmation of who said it at this time.
Regardless of who said it, it is clear that Zadorov has the attention of at least one Maple Leaf player and their management. It will be intriguing to see if the Maple Leafs end up winning the Zadorov sweepstakes from here, but on paper, they look like a potentially great match.