Nikita Zadorov only played half a season with the Vancouver Canucks but quickly became an integral piece of the team, only to leave team in free agency.

In a recent interview, Zadorov admitted he never wanted to leave the Canucks and they were his first choice, but they simply could not match the financial offer from Boston.

“We disagreed on the details before the playoffs and postponed the negotiations,” Zadorov said. “After the playoffs, when I was in Vancouver, we tried to reach an agreement, but unfortunately, it didn’t work.”

The 29-year old defenceman had played for 5 different teams in his 642 game career, and was looking for longer term on a contract that Vancouver just wasn’t willing to give. The Bruins have openly admitted that they have been overpaying to get Zadorov, but the player was still worth an overpay at $5M for 6 seasons.

Zadorov was a physical force and a decent puck mover for the Canucks this season and on their playoff run which attracted plenty of teams interested in free agency. In 13 playoff games, Zadorov was a clear physical leader and even scored 4 goals an 8 points.

The Boston Bruins have perennially been the class of the NHL despite losing star players to retirement, and it’s by making bold moves like signing Zadorov and Lindholm. Adding these two players to a team that already posted over 100 regular season points, the Bruins will surely be a Cup Contender again next year.