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Z reports, to practice Friday; Duchene making preseason debut |
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Rick Sadowski
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Some news before the Avalanche play Dallas on Thursday night in their second preseason game at the Pepsi Center:
Defenseman Nikita Zadorov reported to camp after getting his immigration papers finalized, underwent medical and physical testing, and will practice for the first time Friday.
Center Matt Duchene will make his preseason debut and is expected to play on a line with left wing Alex Kerfoot and right wing Nail Yakupov.
Goalie Semyon Varlamov, also making his preseason debut, is expected to play the entire game.
"I finally saw all the guys," Zadorov, who signed a two-year, $4.3 million contract last Friday, said Thursday morning. "They were happy to see me, I was happy to see them. Now (it's) back to work and I'm real happy to be here."
The 6-feet-5, 230-pound Zadorov will be on the Avalanche's top defensive pairing with Erik Johnson this season. He had 10 assists, 73 penalty minutes and a team-leading 153 hits in 56 games last season. He missed the final 25 games after sustaining a broken ankle in practice.
"At our exit meeting last year (general manager) Joe (Sakic) told us we're probably going to play together (this) year, so we're excited," Zadorov said. "(Johnson's) been texting me every day, he wants me to be here and was happy I came today. I'm real excited to play with him, he's a great player."
Zadorov said he's been skating and working out and doesn't think it will take long for him to be in game shape.
"I've got a few preseason games left, right?" he said. "I'm going to play some of them and hopefully I get my level back right away. I was skating and I was like, 'Let's get the season going already.' I'm ready and I don't think it's going to be any problem to come back to the same level."
The Russian-born Zadorov quashed all those rumors that he was threatening to play in the KHL.
"I told Joe in July we're not planning to go to KHL, it's not what I want," he said. "I want to play in the best league in the world. I'm still 22 years old, so I got a few Olympics to go, right? If I miss this one it's not a big deal."
The NHL isn't sending its players to the 2018 Winter Games.
"But I'll always respect my country, I love my country, I'm totally Russian and for sure anytime they call me I'm ready to go," Zadorov said. "But in this situation my hands are tied. It's not my decision not to go to Olympics. This is my league, that's my team, that's where I'm playing. If players from NHL can't go to Olympics, it is what it is."
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