Nikita Zadorov makes bold claim in post-Captain Practice media scrum

It's easy to exceed expectations when no one has any for you entering a season. The Boston Bruins appear to be a team that could experience a second consecutive rough season, having made minimal offseason improvements. As a result, the media is writing them off in a challenging Atlantic Division. Obviously, the players can't worry about that as they take on the 82-game season, and Nikita Zadorov was the first to face the challenge head-on.

It's one thing to have a team on paper that can compete for the playoffs, but the Bruins shouldn't be anywhere near the postseason in preseason predictions. If the Boston can persevere and grab one of the eight playoff spots in the East, it'll clearly be due to the entire team adopting the mindset that Zadorov is showing in this scrum. However, it might be lofty expecations.

""Being underdogs this year, being a team that nobody is putting anywhere even close to where we should be — it's kind of putting an extra chip on our shoulders.""

Nikita Zadorov

Bruins fans have to hope that Zadorov and his teammates will somehow find success. The forward group looks rough, but if the team does succeed, it'll likely be on the backs of the defensive core and a bounce-back season from Jeremy Swayman. Zadorov will be a big part of that if he can find a better fit than last season, as well as a fully healthy Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy.

The Bruins are already ahead of last year, considering Swayman is on the ice at Warrior in September. Much of his struggles last year were likely due to the late start after his holdout, and everyone is very hopeful that a full training camp will return him to his past form. If the Bruins are going to make right on Zadorov's prediction, he will have to be as good or better than he was from 2022-24.