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Weekend Brunch: Nikita Zadorov threatens to slide over to KHL

Colorado and Zadorov have made progress, agreeing on a 2 year term

By HardevLad
Columbus Blue Jackets v Colorado Avalanche
Nikita Zadorov #16 of the Colorado Avalanche warms up as he prepares to face the Columbus Blue Jackets at Pepsi Center on October 24, 2015 in Denver, Colorado.
Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

The Avalanche

Nikita Zadorov was one of the few bright spots on arguably the worst NHL team in the salary cap era: the 2016-17 Colorado Avalanche. He is also a restricted free agent (RFA). Zadorov sat down with Alexey Shevchenko of Sport-express.ru on Monday to discuss many things such as his injury, the state of his team, and his current contract negotiation. Special thanks go out to Natalia (@forgotten_night) for the english translation! “Yes, the team was losing, but I was laying myself out on the ice, doing my best. I was doing what I love most.” [Mile High Hockey]

Ryan Dryud over at Mile High Sticking argues that signing Jonathan Bernier (formerly of the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs) as the backup goalie to Semyon Varlamov was the right move: “What may go unnoticed is that Bernier put up relatively decent numbers during his time in Toronto. In his first season with the Maple Leafs (before the rebuild truly began), Bernier put up a .923 SV%, which was good enough for 10th in the NHL. He finished with a 26-19-7 record that season.” [FANSIDED]

The Pipeline

The University of Denver Pioneers are gearing up to go win back to back National Championships. Nick Tremaroli of Let Go DU breaks down the roster and what to look for in the season ahead. “For our team next year now, it will definitely be the most dynamic offensive team in my tenure here, and I’m excited to see how hard we can become to play against,” - DU head coach Jim Montgomery [LetsGoDU]

The Game

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Ondrej Palat to a five year extension with $26.5 million. This signing was the last thing on GM Steve Yzerman’s list that he needed to take care of after signing Tyler Johnson to a seven year extension earlier this week. [Raw Charge]

Nikita Gusev is staying in the KHL for the next two seasons. Gusev is currently the property of the Vegas Golden Knights who acquired him, along with Jason Garrison from the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the expansion draft. [TSN]

Goaltender Jhonas Enroth has left the NHL and has signed with Dynamo Minsk of the KHL on a one year deal. “Last season, Enroth was signed to be the Maple Leafs’ backup. But he got off to a tough start and ended up in the minors. Eventually, he was traded to the Ducks and played for their AHL affiliate in San Diego.” [NBCSN]