NHL Trade Rumors: Boston Bruins join race for $7,500,000 Calgary Flames defenseman

The Boston Bruins are rumored to have shown interest in signing Calgary Flames' defenseman Nikita Zadorov. Since Zadorov requested a trade out of Calgary last week, many teams have expressed interest in bringing the Russian defenseman aboard, including the Bruins.

Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now provided more details on the Boston Bruins' plans for Nikita Zadorov.

According to Murphy, given how the Bruins are currently playing their games with playoff-style hockey, the club may want to add a few more pieces to their blue line. Zadorov is one of the names that GM Don Sweeney may have considered adding to his squad.

Jimmy Murphy said (via NHL Rumors):

“I look at the Bruins right now and the way they’re built – they’re big, hard on the forecheck and playing playoff style – I’m thinking Sweeney’s in on Zadorov. I know for a fact Sweeney’s looked into him before. They’ve been listening on Grzelcyk. That could be a great 1-for-1 one for guys headed for free agency?"

At the moment, the Bruins have limited cap space. However, bringing in Zadorov would not be an obstacle for the Bruins in terms of cap space. To complete this deal, the Bruins may use defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, for whom the Bruins have received interest from other teams.

Grzelcyk has a $3.6 million cap hit, while Zadorov has a slightly higher cap hit of $3.75 million. Moreover, if the Bruins acquire Zadorov, the move will block their other two Eastern Conference rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils, from adding a player like Nikita Zadorov to their squads.

Meanwhile, Nikita Zadorov is in the final year of his two-year, $7,500,000 contract signed with the Calgary Flames in 2022. He'll become a UFA at the end of the 2023-24 season. With many teams vying for their interest in signing Zadorov, it remains to be seen where the 28-year-old defenseman ends up.

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The Boston Bruins are dominating the league

Boston Bruins v Montreal Canadiens

The 2023 Presidents' Trophy winners got off to a great start to the new season. After 15 games, the Bruins have lost only three games (two in overtime), and are atop the league with 26 points.

David Pastrnak, the 2022-23 season's 60-goal scorer, leads the Bruins in scoring with 24 points (11 goals and 13 assists) after 15 games. Meanwhile, the newly appointed captain, Brad Marchand, is the second-leading scorer with 16 points (seven goals and nine assists) in 15 games.

The Boston Bruins return to action when they host the Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden on Saturday, Nov. 18. The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET.