Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov’s first season under a six-year, $30 million contract hasn’t quite met expectations.
Head coach Jim Montgomery acknowledged Zadorov’s struggles before the Bruins’ victory over the Calgary Flames by a final result of 4-3 in overtime, noting some inconsistency from the 6’6″ blue-liner.
“I don’t see him pressing,” Montgomery said, via the Boston Globe. “At times, he looks like he’s understanding exactly what we’re trying to accomplish, and at times he looks like he’s not.”
Through 15 games, Zadorov has tallied 4 assists with a plus-2 plus/minus rating, but his high penalty minutes and mixed play have raised questions.
Zadorov has spent slightly over 284 minutes on the ice with the Bruins but he’s already racked up 27 minutes in penalties, the most among Boston players.
Zadorov himself shared insights after Boston’s recent 4–0 loss to Toronto, admitting that leaving Vancouver on his way to Boston by signing with the Bruins still has him adjusting to his new team.
“I think past five games I was really dialed into it and it’s been good, been easy so far,” Zadorov said before Thursday’s matchup. “Obviously, we’re in the little slump right now. “The puck’s not going in, every bounce is going back to us.
We’re trying to stay positive in here and all the guys try to work together, but when the unit of five works within the system, I think the system is perfect for us.”
Against the Flames, another of his former teams, Zadorov logged 18:14 TOI but he posted a negative minus-1 plus/minus while earning one trip (and two minutes) to the penalty box.
The win moved the Bruins up to a 7-7-1 record and 15 points through the first 15 games of the season, good for fourth place in the Atlantic Division entering play Friday.
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