Rick Dhaliwal of *Donnie & Dhali* recently revealed the Vancouver Canucks’ final offer to former defenseman Nikita Zadorov.
During the offseason, Canucks’ GM Patrik Allvin made significant changes to the roster through trades and free agency. One notable departure was Zadorov, who signed a six-year, $30 million contract (with a $5 million AAV) with the Boston Bruins as an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
Per Dhali, Zadorov was offered 4x$4.6M AAV. He was negotiating that 5th year but Canucks didn’t budge… until the end but the offer was rejected.#canucks
— BuckFoston (@BuckFoston_) October 18, 2024
The Canucks were keen to retain Zadorov, but negotiations fell through. According to Dhaliwal, the team’s final offer was a four-year deal with an AAV of $4.6 million. However, Zadorov and his representatives wanted a fifth year in the contract, leading to the deal’s rejection just before free agency opened.
Zadorov, 29, had 20 points (six goals, 14 assists), 125 penalty minutes, and an even rating across 75 games with Vancouver after being acquired from Calgary in November 2023. He also shone in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, contributing eight points in 13 games.
This season, Zadorov has made an impact with the Bruins, tallying three assists, 17 penalty minutes, and a plus-two rating over five games. While some Canucks fans would have preferred to see him stay, the team was reluctant to commit long-term to a second or third-pairing defenseman. Instead, Allvin opted for more affordable alternatives, including Derek Forbort, Vincent Desharnais, and acquiring Erik Brannstrom before the 2024-25 season began.
