Nikita Zadorov looks like he was engineered in a lab to play playoff hockey.
First and foremost, he is huge. The colossal defenceman also comes equipped with a mean streak that fits his 6-foot-6, nearly 250-pound frame.
The Vancouver Canucks traded for Zadorov early in the regular season hoping that he would make an impact come spring. So far, so good.
Zadorov, who blistered a slap shot past Stuart Skinner during the third period of the Canucks’ comeback win against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, has scored three goals in seven post-season games. (He had six in 75 regular-season games with the Canucks and Calgary Flames.)
He then helped set up Conor Garland’s game-winning goal 39 seconds later with a deep stretch pass.
“He’s had a hell of a playoffs for us,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet told reporters after the team’s 5-4 win. “He’s obviously (been) a huge acquisition.”
Zadorov has earned Tocchet’s trust; he is averaging 20 minutes of ice time per game in the playoffs — up from 17:04 over 54 regular-season games following his arrival from Calgary this past November.
As he demonstrated on his end-to-end goal against the Nashville Predators in the first round, Zadorov’s skating is an underrated aspect of his game. His 1.18 carries into the offensive zone per 20 minutes rank eighth out of 47 defencemen who have played at least 100 minutes at 5-on-5 in the playoffs.
In addition to the goals and points, Zadorov has played well defensively. The Canucks have allowed 0.37 expected goals against per 20 at 5-on-5 with Zadorov on the ice — the best mark among qualified defencemen. The fact that he has started just 18.8 per cent of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone makes his performance even more impressive.
And of course, Zadorov has dished out plenty of bone-rattling body checks. He leads all Canucks defencemen with 25 hits in the playoffs.
Zadorov’s impactful post-season comes at a great time for him. He will be an unrestricted free agent July 1 after concluding his two-year, $7.5 million contract. His price tag surely has gone up over the past few weeks.
“I enjoy the high-stakes games,” Zadorov told reporters during the first round. “I enjoy the pressure. I’m enjoying (being) on the ice for the big moments of the game, for the important times of the games.”
All stats via Sportlogiq
