THREE THINGS: Big Impact, Still Growing and Meant to Be

The Blackhawks' blue line bolstered its experience over the weekend, acquiring defenseman Nikita Zadorov from the Colordao Avalanche in a four-team deal on Saturday.
At just 25 years old, Zadorov has six full NHL seasons under his belt and over 350 regular season games -- not to mention another 33 playoff tilts over the last three years.
Here's what you need to know about the Moscow, Russia native:

BIG IMPACT

At 6-foot-6, 235 pounds, Zadorov not only becomes the largest presence in the Blackhawks' lineup, he's going to play a big role on the team's blue line next season.
"When we played Chicago, the one thing I want to bring is (to be) harder to play against," the physically imposing Zadorov said of what he can bring to a Blackhawks lineup he saw frequently as a Central Division rival.
"I got a text from Patrick Kane right after I got traded. He said he's really excited he doesn't have to play against me anymore," he continued. "I feel like that's a really good thing to hear from one of the best players in the world. My biggest goal is (that) I can play against top lines, and that's what I want to bring to this team, to play big minutes, play in big situations and try to shutdown the best players on the opposite team."

STILL GROWING

With 356 NHL games under his belt already, the 25-year-old Zadorov is an established veteran with still perhaps some of his best years ahead of him. A byproduct of a growingly crowded Colorado blue line, the defenseman saw a diminished role in 2019-20 than in season's past, but still knows he can take his game to a different level.
"It's a fresh, new opportunity to get on another level in my game," he said. "There's still lots of things I can do better, what I haven't reached yet. I think my peak is still a long way ahead of me."
And the Blackhawks are confident that the tools are not only there to fit into the lineup today, but that Zadorov can continue to develop into an even bigger part of their youthful blue line.
"I spoke to Jeremy (Colliton) this morning. He told me he's really excited," Zadorov said. "He wants me to play big minutes. He wants to bring me to the next level of shutdown D, also playing in all sort of situations on the ice. I'm really excited about that. He said pretty much they're going to do whatever it takes to open all my potential I still have."

MEANT TO BE

For Zadorov, Chicago is a special place.
As a kid from Russia, it was the first city he visited in North America, coming to Chicago to play in a hockey tournament when he was just 12. The first NHL game he saw live? The Blackhawks were in it. The fact that he can now call the city home is still somewhat surreal.
"When I heard the news, it was super exciting to hear because Chicago is an Original Six team. It was a dream to play here for sure," Zadorov said. "For sure Chicago was in my heart and head as a hockey player because that was just the first experience for me in North America."
Over his first six full-time NHL seasons, playing at the United Center was always a favorite, even when deemed a foe. When he is able to play at the UC with the crowd on his side for a change, the defenseman said it'll be something special.
"It's one of the biggest fan bases in the league and probably the United Center was my favorite place to play because of the atmosphere, because of the history in that stadium and everything," he said. "The pandemic definitely sucks playing with no fans, hopefully we can figure out by (the time) the season starts. I'm hoping we can play with the fans, especially in Chicago. It's going to be super exciting to have them cheer for us."