It is a rumor that swells day by day, and which, in the current context, takes an almost inevitable turn: Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens could well sit together at the Table of Transactions.
A scandal for certain purists of this historical rivalry. A gesture necessary for others, aware that the NHL is above all a league of opportunism, salary cap, and perpetual movement on the market, regardless of the rivalries of the past.
Because Bruins are no longer the formidable army of yesteryear. This team needs reconstruction.
Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci has left for a long time, and no elite center to take over.
Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm have never managed to replace them. The two are criticized like never in Boston’s media, and reality is that Bruins are about to start a major transition. Don Sweeney knows it, and he will have to be strategic. To intelligently rebuild, you have to capitalize on your available assets.
And the Montreal Canadian actively searches for a second center and a robust defender for the series. Two basic needs.
It is in this context that the names of Elias Lindholm and Pavel Zacha are starting to circulate on the side of Montreal. Center players who could be “Plan B” solutions if Kent Hughes cannot bring a blow to the Sidney Crosby, Dylan Larkin or Mathew Barzal.
Lindholm had a nightmare season with the Bruins. And his salary of $ 7.75 million is simply horrible for a wage bill.
Pavel Zacha is still young at 28, but is starting to lose favor in Boston. The former 6th choice in total of the 2015 draft is still a complete, versatile player, capable of centering a second trio consistent. It would be perfect for supporting Ivan Demidov in his early days. And his salary of $ 4.75 million per year until 2027 is reasonable.
But that’s not all. Because the real name that makes Kent Hughes salivate, according to several sources, is Nikita Zadorov.
The Russian giant of 6’6 ”is capable of wreaking havoc in series, is the perfect incarnation of the robust, physical, vicious defender that the Canadian simply does not have. The one who tasts everything in his path. The one that other teams hate to face.
Because Zadorov is the embodied wickedness. This is the response to humiliation inflicted by Tom Wilson in series.
What few people dare to say publicly is that Nikita Zadorov no longer wants to play Boston. The experience turned to vinegar.
After a humiliating setback of 7-2 against the Kings last March, while the atmosphere in the locker room was toxic, Zadorov launched a media bomb that has built his relationships with certain teammates.
Questioned by The Athletic to find out if he appreciated the gesture of Jeremy Swayman who had left his net to defend a teammate, Zadorov replied dryly:
“That’s it, huh?” OK. I don’t know. No comments. »»
-A comment deemed contemptuous by several observers and who sowed discomfort.
A few days later, seeing that the storm did not pass, Zadorov tried to calm the game at a press conference. He pleaded frustration, saying that his words had been misinterpreted.
“It was not directed against Swayman. We had just lost 7-2, it was a bad time to find positive, “he said. But the evil was done.
Behind the scenes, several Boston journalists confirmed that Zadorov was no longer welcome in the locker room.
Tensions would have settled between him and part of the nucleus. It is even said that his presence in the group would have harmed chemistry at the end of the season. Result: the Russian defender wants to leave, and the management also wants to turn the page.
But there is a catch: Zadorov is left -handed. And CH has a mountain: Matheson, Guhle, Hutson, Struble, Xhekaj. The right is the real need.
This is why, if Zadorov signs in Montreal, Arber Xhekaj will become for all superfluous practical purposes.
And precisely, the Bruins seek to rejuvenate, to find wickedness on their blue line, they who have lost bite with the departure of Brandon Carlo. Xhekaj is a typical Boston player: dirty, big, who strikes and takes the crowd with him.
The exchange therefore becomes very plausible. If Kent Hughes obtains Zadorov, he can send Arber Xhekaj to Boston in a larger transaction and could get Zacha at the same time.
Because Xhekaj, let’s say it frankly, is no longer in the plans of CH in the long term. Martin St-Louis no longer trusts him. He was humiliated publicly. And his departure has become a matter of time.
In reality, the best thing for him would be a new organization, in a city where robustness is a religion. And for Bruins, it would be an opportunity to find a little of the lost soul.
Meanwhile, Kent Hughes would build his wall. Ekblad or Zadorov, Guhle, Reinbacher, Hutson, Matheson and Carrier. A defensive mixture of talent, experience, dirt and calm.
The arrival of Zadorov would transform CH into a series of series. A team that can physically respond to Washington, Toronto, Boston or Florida. A more mature team. More respected.
Rumor is growing. The names circulate. And this time, Bruins and CH will not ignore. Because the need is too clear. Because the timing is perfect.
Zadorov in Montreal. XHEKAJ in Boston. Zacha or Lindholm as plan B in the center. Logical like never before.
And if Kent Hughes presses the accelerator, CH will finally become a team that others hate to face.
