Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov. Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Nikita Zadorov's comments suggest potential rift in Bruins' locker room

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Mar 24, 2025 12:59 PM ET

The Boston Bruins' season hasn't gone the way anyone would have hoped, and now, a potential rift is forming in the locker room around goaltender Jeremy Swayman.

At the trade deadline, the Bruins moved their long-time captain and locker room leader and now, it appears as though that may have more consequences than just one, as the locker room could be falling apart.

On Sunday, the Bruins were taken down by the Los Angeles Kings, but one of the most intriguing moments of the game was when Swayman tried to fight Darcy Kuemper, only for the officials to step in and stop it.

Many saw that as Swayman stepping up for his teammates in a big moment, but when asked about it after the game, veteran defenseman Nikita Zadorov's tone and answer suggested something entirely different.

"Is that what it is?" asked Zadorov. "I don't know, no comment."

There haven't been public signs of a rift thus far in 2024-25, but going back to this past offseason, Swayman held out for a very long time, and some suggest that this has played a part in the relationship to the locker room.

Obviously that's just purely speculation, but it's hard to ignore Zadorov's comments here suggesting something much more is at play, and with the team likely to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs, this could get ugly over the next few weeks and months.

Ultimately, there haven't been public signs of a rift to this point in time, but the cracks are starting to show in the Bruins locker room, and with a group made up mainly of veterans struggling they way they have, it's safe to suggest that this may not be the last we've heard of it.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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