For the longest time, Nikita Zadorov was seen as the future of the Colorado Avalanche blueline. Young, tough and the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade, the team and their fans had high hopes for the Russian defender.
Then came a contentious contract negotiations and an arrival at 2017 training camp that left the coaching staff underwhelmed with his dedication to training. Add to that the drafting of Cale Makar, the acquisition of Sam Girard and even the signing of Eric Cole and all of a sudden Zadorov’s place on the Avalanche depth chart isn’t nearly as high as it once was.