what is it that i am missing about Zadorov. i keep seeing people have him as this near top tier Dman. He's is gonna play top d pairing this year? he's never been a + player and never has averaged over 17:42 in a season. Not to mention he played most of the year in the AHL.

I also want him to washout because he was drafted with the wild's draft pick to buffalo. But honestly what am i missing?

First, and most importantly, he's young. Only 21 years old and has spent significant time in the NHL. Defensemen take much longer to develop than forwards, so the fact that he's seen any NHL time at all (to say nothing of pretty much a full season with BUF) is saying a lot. Second, he's talented. He's got good offensive instincts, a good shot, and is an aggressive hitter. He's raw, but he has a lot of tools. We're talking Rob Blake tools. Third, he's HUGE. 6'5" huge. Size isn't everything, but it's part of the reason he gets compare to Blake and Chara.

Personally, I'm not projecting him as a top pairing defenseman to start next year, but I do believe he has that potential. I'd put him on the 3rd, maybe 2nd, pairing and give him more responsibility as time comes.