- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
The Boston Bruins, who hold a 7-2-1 record and first place in the Atlantic Division, scratched defenseman Nikita Zadorov last Saturday against the Kings for what the team called "disciplinary reasons."
Zadorov, the third-highest paid defenseman on the roster at $5 million, has accumulated 29 penalty minutes this season and led the league in penalties over the past two years. He took a double minor in the game prior to his benching.
Analyst Pete Blackburn said the scratch was not solely disciplinary, citing Zadorov's poor play and net negative impact in the previous contest. Blackburn also pointed to stupid, undisciplined penalties as part of the problem.
The defenseman's expected goal share sits at 46.53%, the worst mark among Bruins defensemen. He has also been responsible for multiple undisciplined penalties and high-danger chances against at 5-on-5.
Source: Daily Faceoff - Thu Oct 22, 5:00 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).