Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Mystery Player Drops On-Ice Hint That Maple Leafs Want Zadorov

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Jim Parsons | Last updated 11/13/23

According to Elliotte Friedman on his latest 32 Thoughts podcast, the players on the ice are talking about a possible trade between Toronto and Calgary involving Nikita Zadorov. He notes, “The word going around Sunday night is that a Maple Leafs player said to Zadorov on the ice, you’re exactly what we need.” When asked if it was former London Knight teammate Max Domi who said it, Friedman responded that he didn’t know. “Honestly, they wouldn’t tell me who said it,” he noted.

This came in a game where Zadorov scored a goal and delivered a big hit on Tyler Bertuzzi in a game the Maple Leafs won in a shootout. Immediately following the game, it was learned that Zadorov had requested a trade from the Calgary Flames and speculation is that he’s noted Toronto is a team he would be happy to go to.

Friedman went on to say that he’s also not sure if the defenseman texted his agent after the game that he wanted a trade, but Dan Milstein (Zadorov’s agent) essentially said on social media as the game was coming to a close that Zadorov wants out. When asked the next day about it, Zadorov said he supports his agent and that his choosing to tweet about the status of his contract and situation in Calgary is something he believes was meant to help.

Friedman says the Flames have gone radio silent and haven’t been responding to Friedman’s requests to talk. He believes that Calgary wants to calm things down. They’re open to trading the player but want to make sure they do it on their timetable. Zadorov, meanwhile, wants to play elsewhere if he’s only going to be playing 15 or 16 minutes per night.

Using Social Media to Send a Message

Friedman notes that a lot more players are trying to use social media to send a message to their teams. In some cases, agents are OK with that. In others, the agents have to try to convince their players it’s not the best way to talk to a GM or negotiate.

Friedman said that the contracts that were being worked on in Calgary are going nowhere. The tweet brought teams into the conversation about Zadorov and now clubs are asking Toronto about some of their other players too. While it’s not ideal for the Flames, the fact that everyone knows about Toronto and Vancouver being interested, that other teams are part of the equation at least gives them the ability to get the best return.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: