Canucks lose Zadorov and Lindholm to Bruins in free agency

Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm moved from the Calgary Flames to the Vancouver Canucks last season. And today, they’re heading to another new team together.

The Boston Bruins have signed both veterans in free agency. Lindholm’s contract is a seven-year deal worth $7.75 million per season, according to Chris Johnston of TSN. Zadorov’s contract is six years in length, worth $5 million annually, per TSN’s Darren Dreger.

Elias Lindholm signs a seven-year deal with #bruins carrying a $7.75M AAV.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 1, 2024

6 years $5 mill per for Zadorov in Boston.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2024

The Canucks have known for a while that Lindholm wouldn’t be coming back, but their negotiations with Zadorov lasted longer. Vancouver reportedly offered the big 6-foot-6 blueliner $5 million a season to stay.

But by Thursday, talks had broken down.

“We couldn’t go any farther with Nikita Zadorov,” Canucks GM Patrik Allvin told reporters last week.

“For us, it’s not just about each individual, it’s about getting a team that is competitive and fitting the puzzle. So that’s the direction that Nikita has decided to go and we did our best, and we couldn’t go any further.”

“I can’t overpay one single player, and Nikita Zadorov was extremely good for us in the playoffs and a character guy,” Allvin added. “We did our best, and he decided that he wanted to go somewhere else.”

The Canucks were thought to be interested in Jake Guentzel and Chris Tanev, but have already been beaten out by other teams for their services. The Tampa Bay Lightning traded for Guentzel’s rights, while the Toronto Maple Leafs did the same with Tanev. They’re both already signed new contracts with their respective teams.

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