I think Zadorov does things Valimaki doesn’t, and that’s why, all else considered equal, he stays. He plays the body hard. He has an active stick that breaks up a lot of plays. He has created offensive chances, despite it not being his MO. And he’s a mean cuss who doesn’t let people get away with shots at his goalie/teammates. And when he makes a gaff, he’s often able to recover relatively well.
Valimaki is just sort of there. Hasn’t made enough of a case to bump either bottom pair player.
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