Flames Rumors: 3 NHL teams that make sense for a Nikita Zadorov trade

3. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs make a lot of sense for a guy like Nikita Zadorov.

If the Edmonton Oilers were going to trade Zadorov to a struggling Canadian team that came into the season as Stanley Cup favorites, it certainly wasn’t going to be the Edmonton Oilers. However, there is another team out there that fits that same bill.

Zadorov would be a great piece for the Toronto Maple Leafs to consider. He is a big defenseman who can help them add some toughness and skill to their backend. They have been underperforming as a unit all season so far and they need to turn things around.

With elite forwards like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares in the mix, they feel like they have to take advantage of them in their prime right now. Adding more to the back end is something they must consider.

The Leafs and Flames make perfect trade partners here. The Leafs have a few young pieces that they could send over to Calgary and Toronto isn’t married to their draft picks either. All of those things could help Calgary as it starts to retool its roster.

There are plenty of other teams that make sense for Zadorov as well. These three teams stick out as ones that should be on the phone with Calgary every second that they can until they get a deal done. It will be interesting to see where he lands.