The Bruins made a point with Nikita Zadorov on Saturday, and his agent wasted no time turning that message into a little Maple Leafs fuel.
After Zadorov was scratched against the Los Angeles Kings, his name spread fast online. The benching came one night after the Boston defenseman took an undisciplined double-minor in Friday’s 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks.
Late in the second period, with the Bruins trailing 2-1, Zadorov was first penalized for elbowing Frank Vatrano. After Vatrano reacted, Zadorov added a roughing minor for retaliation.
Boston coach Marco Sturm said the move was about accountability and discipline. Before Saturday’s game, he made it clear why Zadorov was out.
"Z is a tremendous player and leader for our team,” Sturm said. “We’ve been mentioning for a while his discipline on the ice.
I think that’s something that just needs to be better. He was not happy.
He’s a great human being, and he’s a competitor. I do believe he will come back stronger after this message.
He will be back to normal and even better after that."
He followed that up with another blunt assessment:
"I do believe there’s another level in him. Now we just got to find it.
The discipline; he just needs to be smarter. That’s all it is."
The scratch drew attention beyond Boston almost immediately. On social media, one fan suggested to Zadorov’s agent, Dan Milstein, that the 6-foot-7 blueliner would not be treated the same way if he were wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater.
"He wouldn't be treated like this in Toronto," the fan wrote.
Milstein’s response was short and sharp:
"No, he would not..."
That exchange was enough to stir up new chatter about Zadorov’s future, even though there have been no reported trade talks involving the Maple Leafs. For now, Zadorov remains under a six-year, $30 million contract with Boston and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2030.
Through eight games this season, Zadorov has three points, all assists, for the Bruins, who are 7-2-0 and sitting atop the Atlantic Division.
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