Nikita Zadorov Discussion Part III

[The Kingslayer]

Outside of the 7 minutes against Washington, he had been one of the Avs better defensemen for the better part of a month.

I hope you mean Z and not Nemeth here and that you mean Boston and not Washington lol.

 

[Perratrooper]

I would rather Bednar go than Zadorov.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

I would rather Bednar go than Zadorov.

Hell no. Finally the Avs have some decent coaches behind the bench, lets see what they can do once Sakic gives them something to work with outside of the 1st line. There are better coaches out there but there is no guarantee that the Avs are going to sign them. The last thing this team needs is another Roy, Sacco or Granato.

 

[Foppa2118]

Play well would be a good start?

He had been playing well.

 

[Foppa2118]

Nikita Zadorov opens up on benching: 'I feel a little bit...

“I don’t want to comment on it,” Zadorov politely said when asked for his thoughts on being the subject of rumors."

“I mean, it’s not easy when you’re not playing,” Zadorov told The Athletic after practice Saturday. “I feel a little bit disrespected.”

“I want him to play and take command of the game,” Bednar said of Zadorov. “That’s be assertive, be physical, be skating and I want him to be able to move the puck efficiently. Same kind of things I want from all of our D even though they all bring a little bit of a different skill set and being able to get us clean exits out of our zone. Make sure you’re skating to check and be physical. A lot goes into it but that would be the base of his play.

Bednar wants him to be assertive and physical? He never saw a shift after that borderline interference call in the 2nd period and just made him a healthy scratch. Hell of a mixed message to send.

 

[HockeyFan100]

If only Zadorov was a former Columbus Blue Jacket....

 

[Metallo]

Bednar should watch the games instead of taking his scouting report from PK Subban.

 

[ASmileyFace]

Bednar handled this situation poorly imo. I would have understood benching him for the rest of the second in the Boston game, but extending that into the next game in favor of Barbs was just stupid. Three years into Bednar’s tenure and Zads still had the shortest leash of all the players on the team. He has consistently outplayed Barbario and Nemeth this season but gets benched after a single mistake.

At this point I wonder if Zadorov isn’t going to be on his way out this off season. Bednar isn’t going anywhere and with Timmins and Makar on the way you have to wonder who is on the way out.

 

[HartKinnon]

Three years into Bednar’s tenure and Zads still had the shortest leash of all the players on the team. He has consistently outplayed Barbario and Nemeth this season but gets benched after a single mistake.

Zadorov hasn't been as good as he was during last season. He has regressed a little bit. Nemeth and Barberio have peaked or are at close to their peaks whereas Zadorov still has much more potential to realize. That's why those guys should be treated differently. Big Z has been quite soft this season and hasn't laid lot of big licks (thanks Moser).

 

[The Abusement Park]

Play well would be a good start?

He was one of the only defenseman playing well during that 5 game losing streak though.

 

[Muffin]

I have a feeling he's being shopped. Too much smoke out there.

 

[Foppberg]

If he's not back in tonight's game .....

 

[Perratrooper]

Hell no. Finally the Avs have some decent coaches behind the bench, lets see what they can do once Sakic gives them something to work with outside of the 1st line. There are better coaches out there but there is no guarantee that the Avs are going to sign them. The last thing this team needs is another Roy, Sacco or Granato.

We are also looking at the best blue line we’ve had in over a decade and Bednar (in my opinion) is misusing it. I don’t recall a single game where Barrie, Girard or EJ had a bad game and Zadorov was allowed to move up the lineup and play a larger roll.

I should also clarify I would prefer not to lose either.

 

[CB Joe]

The problem has always been Zadorov. It's not Bednar. Zadorov just has too many mental lapses and is far too inconsistent.

 

[Foppberg]

Take it for what it's worth but on the BSN podcast Dater said he's talked to a fairly high up guy and he's heard nothing. Doesn't seem likely to trade him when his value is this low, still a RFA, etc. Sidenote doesn't hear anything at all about us & Nylander either.

 

[jvcjdudu jcycyxjene]

I love Zadorov. I'd hate to see him go.

 

[Muffin]

Take it for what it's worth but on the BSN podcast Dater said he's talked to a fairly high up guy and he's heard nothing. Doesn't seem likely to trade him when his value is this low, still a RFA, etc. Sidenote doesn't hear anything at all about us & Nylander either.

Zadorov is getting traded e5.

 

[dahrougem2]

I hope you mean Z and not Nemeth here and that you mean Boston and not Washington lol.

Yeah that lol

 

[Pokecheque]

Things were waaaaaaay worse between Bednar and Soderberg two years ago, hell he was a healthy scratch opening night 2017, and they've obviously patched things up since then. And it's not like things have never been good between Z and JB, in fact Z has made his biggest strides in development while he's been coach. I still think the trade talk, while completely understandable, is more than a bit premature.

 

[Ivan13]

If he's traded so be it. I certainly won't cry over it.

 

[ASmileyFace]

I love Zads but if he gets traded I just hope it’s to a team out east. I don’t think we’d want to play him more than two times a year.

 

[hooverdam]

My problem with a Zadorov trade, and with scratching Zadorov more than once or twice here and there, is still just that it makes the defense worse. Nemeth and Barberio are not good hockey players. They can play well in fits and starts but on the whole they are just not good, and certainly not as good as Zadorov. We should not be putting this team in a position to have them both in the lineup every night; it makes the team worse.

Nemeth and Barberio were a breath of fresh air after the horror of the 16-17 defense, but we need to keep it in perspective that they're both 6/7th defensemen. The Avs are building a really fun, effective defense that should have higher standards than those two.

Even when Zadorov has off nights or makes mistakes, his lows aren't as low as theirs, and his highs are astronomically higher than their highs. I'm not a Z devotee and I know he's a flawed player still putting it together, but I'll take his lumps over Nemeth/Barberio 10 times out of 10.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Things were waaaaaaay worse between Bednar and Soderberg two years ago, hell he was a healthy scratch opening night 2017, and they've obviously patched things up since then. And it's not like things have never been good between Z and JB, in fact Z has made his biggest strides in development while he's been coach. I still think the trade talk, while completely understandable, is more than a bit premature.

True but I dont think Z is on the same level of maturity as Soda. Saying this without knowing the two but Z in many ways is still a kid and Soda seems to be a mature guy. 24 yr old me react to things alot different than 33 yr old me.

 

[Pokecheque]

True but I dont think Z is on the same level of maturity as Soda. Saying this without knowing the two but Z in many ways is still a kid and Soda seems to be a mature guy. 24 yr old me react to things alot different than 33 yr old me.

That much is true, I guess we will see how he responds. It's interesting to read that Bednar didn't speak at all to Z following the benching or before he was healthy scratched.

 

[Postanin CB Ting]

This is whack put Z back in. I dont like this one bit. Dont trade him joe, especially not for pulijarvi.