Career
Zadorov was a first round selection, 16th overall in the 2013 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. Zadorov played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights. He was selected in the first round (4th overall) of the 2012 KHL Junior Draft by The Human Context CSKA Moscow.
On October 19, 2013, Zadorov made his National Hockey League debut skating with the Buffalo Sabres in a 4-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
After spending much of the rest of that season in the OHL with the Knights, Zadorov made the Sabres" opening-night roster in the 2014-2015 season as a permanent addition to the roster. He initially only saw limited playing time and was primarily on the team for practice only (he was not yet eligible for the American Hockey League and a tie-up involving Zadorov"s Kontinental Hockey League rights prevented him from being returned to juniors).
Zadorov"s playing time increased later in the season as the team"s coaching staff decided to keep Zadorov regardless of his junior situation. At the 2015 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Zadorov was traded as a central piece by the Sabres in a package that included, Mikhail Grigorenko, J.T. Compher, and the 31st pick in the draft to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Ryan O"Reilly and Jamie McGinn on June 26, 2015.
