Nikita Zadorov trade: Canucks acquire veteran defenseman from Flames in exchange for draft picks

Zadorov recently requested a trade from the Flames

By Austin Nivison Dec 1, 2023 at 12:50 pm ET• 1 min read

The Vancouver Canucks have added some depth to their blue line by acquiring defenseman Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames. On Thursday, the Canucks announced they sent a 2024 fifth-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick to the Flames in exchange for Zadorov.

Zadorov, 28, recently requested a trade out of Calgary while the team was enduring a disappointing start. A pending free agent, Zadorov is in the final year of his contract at $3.75 million per season, and he brings 588 games of NHL experience with him to the Canucks.

"Nikita is a big, strong and mobile two-way defenseman who will bring more physicality to our backend," Canucks general manager Patrick Allvin said in a statement. "We really like his size and reach and his addition to our blueline gives us more depth and better options moving forward."