Bruins Fans Will Love Nikita Zadorov’s Assessment Of His Game

BOSTON — Bruins fans have become accustomed to a specific brand of hockey.

The big, bad Bruins embodied a hard, physical style through the 1970s and 1980s, and one newcomer is sure to bring the snarl back to Boston.

Leaning toward their historical identity, the Bruins added beef on the blue line this offseason by signing with 6-foot-6, 248-pound defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

“My physical game is not going to go away,” Zadorov said. “That’s why I’m in this league. That’s why people pay me money. That’s why they sign me. So that’s my goal — defense first.”

Zadorov added: “I enjoy hockey overall, so it’s everything. Obviously, physical, it’s a little bit easier for a guy my size. Be physical and try to close plays, intimidate players and piss them off. It’s my role, and I’m embracing that and I’m enjoying it.”

Bruins nation will for sure love Zadorov in a Spoked-B jersey given the way captain Brad Marchand described the monstrous defenseman.

“He’s amazing. He’s an absolute animal,” Marchand said. “He can do it all. He has offensive abilities. He’s big, he’s mean, he doesn’t care. He’s a predator out there, and I absolutely love it.”

Zadorov is coming off a season in which he split time with both the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. He appeared in 75 games with six goals and 14 assists while logging 125 minutes. Obviously, the offensive output doesn’t jump off the page, but Zadorov skates pretty well for someone his size and has decent puck-moving ability.