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

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There are a lot of things going on in the NHL world right now. Two of the bigger stories of disappointment are coming from Alberta where the two teams that play there are not off to good starts. Of course, that means the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.

Well, the Oilers made a coaching change and now the Calgary Flames are possibly going to start making some roster moves. One of those moves might be to trade Nikita Zadorov as he has requested a trade.

Now, things may move fast with this as both sides would probably like to have a resolution pretty soon. There are a lot of NHL teams that want to win the Stanley Cup and could be looking for a guy like him to add to their blue line.

Zadorov has had a little bit of offensive flare in his game so far this year which has made him even more attractive on the trade market. Who wouldn’t want a guy like that at this point? These three teams make the most sense for him at this moment:

1. New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils could use a big defenseman like Nikita Zadorov right now.

Nikita Zadorov might be just what the New Jersey Devils need. With two young players on their blue line in Kevin Bahl and Luke Hughes, they could use a little bit more veteran depth. Dougie Hamilton, Jonas Siegenthaler, and John Marino are all great but Brendan Smith isn’t helping.

Adding someone like Zadorov would be perfect for them as they look to solidify a top-six defenseman group that they can win with regularly. It would also allow more time for Simon Nemec to continue developing in the minors.

New Jersey is a great team but they have to defend better. Their goaltending is suspect so fixing this area of their game could help them take that next step. They want to be Stanley Cup contenders by the spring and a trade like this could get them there.

2. Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche would make great sense for Nikita Zadorov.

Nikita Zadorov spent five years of his NHL career with the Colorado Avalanche. That is the most time he spent with any team in the NHL. Now, it would make a lot of sense for him to return there for the rest of this season.

With studs on the back end like Cale Makar, Bowen Byram, and Devon Toews, Zadorov would thrive in a role there. That team is good enough to win the Stanley Cup with some of the stars that they have there and Zadorov would just add that much more depth.

You’d think that they are all in on a deal to try and get Zadorov back now that he has requested a trade but we will have to wait and see. Do they have what is necessary to send back to Calgary in order to get Zadorov back?

The Flames are not looking like a team that is going to be returning to the playoffs this year so they might be sellers in a lot of ways. That means they really won’t mind moving Zadorov to another team in the Western Conference if the return is right.

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

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.

Related Story. The New Jersey Devils are getting Jack Hughes back soon. light

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