Calgary Flames Rumors: Nikita Zadorov Linked to Contender

Nikita Zadorov is one of the many Calgary Flames who are currently in the rumor mill. It ultimately makes sense, as he is entering the final season of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. As a result, teams are expressing interest in the shutdown defenseman. According to The Fourth Period, the Florida Panthers are one of them.

The Panthers have already added to their defensive group this summer, signing Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Dmitry Kulikov, Niko Mikkola, and Mike Reilly. However, it appears that they may not be done yet. Their right side could use a boost and although Zadorov is a left-shot defenseman, he can handle that role well.

If acquired, Zadorov would be in the running to play in Florida's top four while Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour are sidelined.

Zadorov is also coming off of a strong season that saw him score an impressive 14 goals to go along with 21 points, 174 hits, and a plus-10 rating in 82 games played.

Alas, we will need to wait and see if Florida ends up bringing in Zadorov before the start of the season from here.