Nikita Zadorov isn’t leaving any room for the offseason rumor mill to breathe.
The Bruins defenseman directly shut down the chatter that he was the player who blocked a possible trade involving Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. After reports surfaced that a Boston deal for Nurse had fallen apart and that one Bruins player had declined to waive no-trade protection, Zadorov said it was not him.
"It's not true,'' Zadorov said. "It was something from the imagination.
You've been in hockey for a long time, and that trade wouldn't have made sense for anybody, especially for this team. That's why everyone put it away right away.
"I have a contract here. I love it here and I enjoying playing with the guys and everything.''
The speculation had pointed toward Zadorov after the Bruins were linked to Nurse before Will Borgen was eventually acquired from the New York Rangers on July 1. Boston’s offseason work also included bringing back Connor Clifton in free agency and landing forward JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth before the NHL Entry Draft in late June, when the Bruins sent two first-round picks to Utah.
The trade rumor had gained traction because it followed a stretch in which Bruins general manager Don Sweeney and team president Cam Neely both acknowledged the roster needed more talent if Boston was going to push for a second straight playoff appearance. Most of the help, though, came via trades rather than free agency.
Zadorov’s comments now make clear he wasn’t the obstacle in a deal that never got across the finish line. He also sounded content with where he is, saying he has a contract in Boston and enjoys being with the team.
Whether Sweeney or anyone else in the organization addresses the rumor publicly this week remains to be seen. The Bruins open on Sept. 29 against the Rangers at TD Garden, and the only certainty from this part of the story is that Darnell Nurse won’t be there.
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