Ex-Flames defenceman Nikita Zadorov gives high praise to Darryl Sutter

The two may no longer be part of the Calgary Flames, but Nikita Zadorov is very grateful for getting the opportunity to play for Darryl Sutter.

Prior to being fired this past offseason, it appeared as though Sutter had lost the entire room. A number of players spoke out against him, followed by several more doing the same after he was let go. That said, Zadorov has always spoken kindly about his former bench boss and did so once again while making an appearance on the Dropping the Gloves podcast.

“I wish I had Darryl when I was 18,” Zadorov said. “I saw [Rasmus Ristolainen’s] comment about [John Tortorella] saying the same thing. He said he wished he had Torts when he was 18. I wish I had Darryl as an 18-year-old because you can learn so much and he can help the [defencemen], or any player if you can handle it. Ya, he’s hard, yes he’s going to be [on] you every day. But, he will get all the details, he will make you [a] professional.”

A likely reason why Zadorov enjoyed playing for Sutter so much is that he brings a style the 65-year-old loves. Hard-hitting, grittiness, and willingness to drop the gloves are parts of the game that Sutter loves and are all skills that Zadorov possesses.

Ironically enough, Sutter and Zadorov had similar exits from Calgary in a sense. After the 2021-22 season in which he was awarded the Jack Adams, Flames fans absolutely loved having Sutter behind the bench. That quickly changed, however, due to an extremely tumultuous 2022-23 season. By the time it had come to an end, nearly the entire fan base had turned on him.

Zadorov is similar in the sense that Flames fans loved having him on their team for a large chunk of time. However, as soon as he requested a trade, the public perception of him in Calgary took a hit for the worse.

Whether that perception can recover remains to be seen, as the Flames fan base is as loyal as any. That said, it seems as though Zadorov was no longer happy in Calgary. Perhaps the change of scenery will not only help him play well for the remainder of the season, but it could really help him cash in as a free agent this coming summer.

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