There was a lot of false information about Nikita Zadorov this summer, the biggest canard being that he might bolt to the KHL if his contract didn’t work out with the Colorado Avalanche.
Zadorov revealed in this EXCLUSIVE video that he told Avs GM Joe Sakic in July that he wasn’t going to go to the KHL, that he wanted to play “in the best league in the world.” It just took some time to agree on the final numbers, that’s all.
Zadorov, as BSN revealed last night, had his immigration paperwork worked out and is back with the Avs. He took a couple of minutes to talk about that and other things in the video below:
Zads won’t play tonight against Dallas, but he will be on the practice ice Friday.
0 Comments (2 conversations)
pixelrebirth
Good catch on the KHL comment, definitely appreciate he wanted to be here
KHL was always a long shot. Last year there were teams that couldn’t even pay their players on time. He would have been hard pressed to make more money in Russia and even if he did sign over there, only about 3-4 teams are financially stable enough to ensure you actually get paid. The KHL is hurting some.
I’d want to play here too if I knew it meant I was guaranteed to get paid.
pixelrebirth
Agree completely it was a long shot, its just nice to hear it from the player. I never thought myself it would happen. I appreciate the coverage on it is my point really. It helps defuse less educated fans.
Mark T
Only some teams in the KHL had those issues. The Moscow team that would have signed Zadorov has not had any issues paying their players. The KHL is not a great league, but this season there was a genuine worry that free agent Russians would sign there so they can play in the Olympics and make more money. And it’s not like there’s no precedent either – Nikita Tryamkin (a big young restricted free agent defenseman) just a few months ago did exactly what Zadorov was rumored to be threatening.
The appeal of playing in the Olympics might have been a real treat but the money was never going to be the determining factor. Zadorov is making 2.15 Million for the Avs. That 2.15 Mil would make him the 7th highest paid player in the entire KHL. That league just doesn’t have the money to pay as high as the NHL. Unless your name is Kovalchuck or Datsyuk you aren’t making more money in the KHL than you could be in the NHL.
It was a negotiating tactic and a backup plan if things went really far south with the Avs.
Mark T
Good point. Although we don’t know if it was a negotiating tactic at all. Based on this video it was never used as any kind of tactic at all.
Another thing to consider is how much information is “leaked”. I’m convinced teams leak information when think it will improve their negotiating leverage. I think that’s why the leak about the Avs turning down the Duchene for Harmonic trade happened. The Isle wanted everyone to know that they presented a fair deal for Duchene and it was the unreasonable Avs that turned down. It makes Sakic look worse and it makes their GM look like he’s doing his job better.
I’m always skeptical about the reporters that are too close to teams. I really think some of them are getting used by teams to leak select info.
Mark T
The Hamonic one obviously a leak by the Isles, because it looks reasonable on the face of it until you take a closer look and find out Hamonic was awful last season.
Mark T
This offseason had made me finally realize how awful the majority of NHL reporters are. They’ll hear (or make up) a rumor about a player, then start reporting it as fact or referring to it so often that it essentially becomes a fact. First there was the false idea that Colorado was attempting to trade Duchene (no evidence of that – receiving offers is not attempting to trade), then there was this false rumor about Zadorov to the KHL. I’m really glad you got this info, but I doubt the truth is going to be widely reported now that he’s signed. I’m sure years from now I’ll read something about how Zadorov once threatened to sign in the KHL.
I already knew most mainstream media was awful, but for some silly reason I thought hockey reporters were of a better breed. Great work Mr. Dater.
pixelrebirth
That is because we have been spoiled by Dater since the Post— BSN does it right. I too really have gotten jaded with national hockey media sensationalism and am realizing the Duchene’s scorn in training camp was not aimed, IMO, at the Avs, I believe it was aimed at the media who eventually FLIPPED OUT he wasnt wearing an A in a photo, BSN didnt even touch on that– for good reason.
He will continue to be short with the media until the media stops romping on him being traded. Its the media that wants him traded, not Sakic– or he would have by now.