Bruins bench Nikita Zadorov, then his agent fuels trade to Canadian team
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Nikita Zadorov sat out for Boston over discipline, and his agent hinted Toronto would treat him differently. Here is what a Maple Leafs deal would take.
Nikita Zadorov was a healthy scratch for the Bruins on Saturday against the Kings, and his agent has now added some fuel to the fire.
Coach Marco Sturm made the call one night after Zadorov took a double minor for elbowing and roughing Frank Vatrano while Boston trailed Anaheim 2-1.
The Bruins still rallied for a 4-2 win.
Sturm wants to see better discipline from his veteran blueliner, and believes he has more to give.
"(Zadorov) needs to be better when it comes to his discipline on the ice.”
- Marco Sturm
- Marco Sturm
Penalty trouble is piling up
This is not a one-off for the 31-year-old.
Zadorov leads Boston and sits second in the NHL with 29 penalty minutes through eight games.
He also carries a $5 million cap hit through 2029-30 on the six-year deal he signed with the Bruins in 2024.
That brings us to the social media chatter.
A fan told Zadorov's agent, Dan Milstein, that his client would not be treated like this in Toronto, and Milstein agreed.
Could a Leafs deal actually happen?
Do not book the moving truck yet.
Zadorov has a 16-team no-trade list this season, so he holds real say over where he lands.
Toronto has history here too. The Leafs made Calgary an offer for him back in 2023, but cap trouble kept the deal from getting done.
Boston is also winning, which takes some heat off.
The Bruins have won five straight, and Jonathan Aspirot filled in for Zadorov on the blue line Saturday.
The next few games will show how Sturm handles it.
A trade looks like a long shot for now.
Still, a physical defenseman with this much penalty trouble this early will keep drawing questions, and Toronto fans will be watching.
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