Noah Cates #27 of the Philadelphia Flyers falls to the ice against Nikita Zadorov #91 of the Boston Bruins (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Nikita Zadorov has always been one to speak his mind, both on and off the ice. Whether he's offering candid assessments of young talent like Ivan Demidov or sharing his perspective on the pressures of playing in the NHL, his insights come with a raw authenticity that sets him apart. As a player navigating the league's competitive landscape, Zadorov knows firsthand the challenges faced by rising stars and veterans alike—whether it's adapting to the structured game plans of North American hockey, handling media scrutiny in high-pressure markets.
Beyond the rink, Zadorov's outspoken nature extends to global issues, making him a rare voice among professional athletes. His willingness to discuss the complexities of representing Russia on the international stage, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and even his thoughts on Dominik Hasek’s political statements reveal a thoughtful individual unafraid to tackle difficult subjects. With his mix of on-ice experience and off-ice candor, Zadorov provides a unique lens through which to examine hockey's evolving world—one where skill, politics, and personal resilience intersect in unexpected ways.
Chicago Made a Mistake?
Zadorov doesn’t fancy himself an NHL scout, but does his best to keep active and watch as much hockey as possible; including back home in his native country.
He, like many in the hockey world, has been very impressed with the rapid progression of young Russian phenom, Ivan Demidov. The Canadiens prospect is on pace to have the most productive rookie season in the history of the KHL, and looks primed to make the jump to the NHL next season.
According to Zadorov, Demidov should never have been available when the Canadiens selected him at 5th overall.
“I haven't watched his full games – only seen the highlights,” Zadorov said in an exclusive interview with RG. “His skill set is so elite that I'm surprised that he fell to fifth place in the draft. His skating, shooting, and hockey IQ - it’s really fun to watch him go.”
Without lacking any respect toward Chicago Blackhawks prospect, Artem Levshunov, Zadorov estimates that, although the Blackhawks made a calculated risk in trying to shore up a position of need on defense, they made a mistake passing on Demidov with the 2nd overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
“If I were Chicago, I would have taken him,” said Zadorov. “When you have a player with such natural talent and hockey IQ, in my opinion, you grab that, and the rest will work itself out. You can teach defense, and he’s shown a willingness to improve that part of his game.”
In his estimation, Demidov is tailor-made for the Montreal market, possessing the right personality and values to thrive in such a hockey-mad city.
“Ivan is such a media-friendly, nice guy,” Zadorov explained. “I think he'll fit perfectly in Montreal, it's a good place for him. They'll develop him well there, and the fans will instantly love him.”
The Calder Race
But Ivan Demidov isn’t the only Montreal Canadiens youngster garnering attention, as Lane Hutson is in the midst of a heated Calder Trophy race with Philadelphia Flyers winger, Matvei Michkov, and San Jose Sharks center, Macklin Celebrini.
Although he is impressed with Michkov’s scoring prowess, he isn’t as confident in the young Russian’s overall ability to edge out the other two rookies at the head of the race. Having played against Michkov head-to-head on a few occasions now, Zadorov believes that the young Russian has all the skill in the world, but may not be in the right setting to fully exploit it.
“We played against Michkov three times, and I have slightly mixed feelings,” Zadorov explained.
"I think playing in Philadelphia under John Tortorella is still a tough place to show off the full extent of your skills as a talented hockey player. He’s the kind of coach who demands 100% predictability in every moment, and because of this, you may not have enough space and free time with the puck. He’s going to be great, but I’m not sure if he’ll edge out the other two.”
Zadorov has heard the noise surrounding 1st overall pick, Macklin Celebrini, in San Jose, and took the time to get some viewings in to see exactly what the hype was all about.
The veteran defender came away very impressed from his first impressions of Celebrini.
“I started watching San Jose only because everyone is talking about Macklin Celebrini. We haven’t played them yet, so I can’t say that I have an in-person opinion. But, from what I’ve seen, he and Will Smith interact well, they score good goals and play a strong two-way game.”
Zadorov has seen and heard all about Lane Hutson for over a year now; watching his highlights on social media and his games with the Canadiens so far this season. However, being a big, stay-at-home defenseman, Zadorov offered both praise and constructive criticism for the Canadiens’ young blueliner.
“As for Hutson, he’s just like Quinn Hughes, but just a slight notch under his level right now,” said Zadorov. “I saw his highlights all of last year, so his success doesn’t surprise me. I’m not a big fan of defensemen who play like midfielders in soccer personally; I'm a little more ‘old school.’ I think that if you want to win the Stanley Cup with Hutson, who looks like a top-end offensive defensemen, he will need to shore up his defense.”
Ultimately, he couldn’t really come up with a definitive answer as to who was his Calder favorite this year, but Zadorov agreed that each player had their merits to come away with the award.
Seemingly, the future of the NHL is in good hands.
Playing For Russia, But…
It’s no secret that the socio-political situation brought on by the Russia/Ukraine conflict has had repercussions on sports, with the IIHF and NHL cutting ties with Russian hockey and excluding them from international tournaments; like the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off.
Zadorov is the only Russian hockey player who has given a number of high-profile interviews in recent years, in which he has expressed sharp disagreement with the policies of his country's leadership. He does not regret it at all.
Similarly to Zadorov, two-time Stanley Cup winner, Dominik Hasek, has been quite outspoken about the situation in Russia. Hasek believes that due to the situation in Ukraine, Russians have no place in the NHL.
Zadorov had a more nuanced approach.
“Hasek is trying to build his political career and believes that these statements will get him more favor in the elections. The world is a weird place nowadays, where people don’t know what or who to believe anymore. It’s a delicate situation and I don’t think that we can do anything about it now.”
Igor Rabiner has written for Sport-Express, the biggest Russian sports website, since 1994. He has covered seven FIFA World Cups, seven Winter Olympics, and three Summer Olympics. He is the author of 28 books with total sales of over 500,000 copies. He won an AIPS Sport Media Award for best column and interviewed exclusively Pele, Wayne Gretzky, Franz Beckenbauer, Alex Ovechkin and many other soccer, ice hockey, and tennis superstars. From 2016 to 2021, he has regularly contributed to the Russian version of NHL.com. Has contributed to The Guardian, British soccer magazine The Blizzard, and other world publications. One of the authors of the encyclopedia 'Kings of Ice," which came out in North America in 2002. From 2013 to 2021, Rabiner was a co-owner and teacher in a private sports journalism school in Russia. He has 56,500 followers on X and over 25,000 readers on Telegram, Facebook and Instagram.
