Is Nikita Zadorov nearly as fast as Connor McDavid? The numbers seem to say so

All Boston Bruins fans have had the same thought this season when Nikita Zadorov goes on one of his end-to-end rushes. He speeds past opposing defenders like they are stopped, beats the last line of defense, but then usually isn't agile enough to cut the net. The fans are left thinking, "Is Zadorov faster than we think?" Well, according to the NHL Edge statistics, he might be.

Unsurprisingly, Connor McDavid leads the pack in fastest speed this season, clocking in at 24.61 miles per hour on one of his breathtaking rushes. However, it was Zadorov's name at 4, less than a mile per hour slower than McDavid, that caught my eye. It's a hilarious concept to think that the big man can come anywhere close to the league's best player when looking at their skating styles, but the Bruins' burly defenseman can get moving after a short wind-up.

Zadorov might not beat McDavid, Logan Cooley, or Cale Makar in an acceleration contest, but his being up there in terms of raw speed is a hilarious visual. While being near McDavid in terms of speed is quite the accomplishment, being listed on a graphic as FASTER than Makar is another feather in the cap. If you look at both defenseman skating side-by-side, you'd think they were in different leagues, but put them in a 100-yard dash, and Zadorov might win if he gets up to top speed quickly enough.

Zadorov has some massive hits this season, notably against Scott Laughton on the Toronto Maple Leafs, Macklin Celebrini on the San Jose Sharks, and Sam Rinzel on the Chicago Blackhawks. He has become a physical presence for the team, but this stat shows that he isn't just a one-trick pony. Let's hope for the league's safety that he never reaches this top speed and chooses to stick his shoulder into someone.

Zadorov has one thing left to accomplish this season that would blow the roof off of the Bruins' social media. It'd be great to see him go on one of his end-to-end rushes and actually bury a goal. With the way his season has been going, I'm not ruling it out.