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[Rumour] Maple Leafs shopping Nikita Zaitsev


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9 hours ago, theo5789 said:

Last deal with the Leafs, Carcone for Leivo. I guess we did give up all that AHL value.

 

The guy asked for a trade and is overpaid with term. He's coming with a sweetener to whichever team he's dealt to.

By the reports however it sounds like he actually has value to Benning.

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12 hours ago, HOFsedins said:

JB has made it clear he isnt going to part with draft picks. I hope he keeps that promise.

he did an interview with the Province yesterday saying he wouldn't burn picks to move up in the draft so he's not going to send picks to TO for this deal. 

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19 minutes ago, NuckForReal!!! said:

By the reports however it sounds like he actually has value to Benning.

What reports? I've only seen a couple of tweets where one says Benning was checking in on the price and the other where it say the interest is high and maybe that's because of what could be added. Remember this is Toronto media trying to spin it in a way to boost Zaitsev's value in hopes to create a bidding war. Don't get sucked into it.

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So looking at the line combo's on the Dobber site, Zaitsev had his good offensive year with Reilly in 2016 but was a -22. Reilly then gets paired almost exclusively with stable stay at home Hainsey and Morgans +/- gets far better.

 

NZ was then paired mostly with Gardiner for the next two seasons and we all know how that went offensively but he was a + player. He did seem to play better paired with Muzzin a lot in the playoffs. Zone starts about the same all 3 seasons.

 

So if this is going to be a thing who would we pair him with? If not Edler, I don't really see what the plan is. But that actually might be a pretty decent pairing. 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, NuckForReal!!! said:

By the reports however it sounds like he actually has value to Benning.

I mean he's an NHL level, right side D. That does hold some value (not dissimilar to how Eriksson is an NHL forward...but even more over payed).

 

But if Toronto (or their whore media) think they're going to extract meaningful value out of him (particularly with their cap space issues), they can find another sucker IMO.

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21 minutes ago, mll said:

McKenzie and Johnson on Zaitsev:

 

 

So sad to see a much respected reporter now just being another propaganda puppet for the Leafs.  There must be a lot of pressure on the TSN reporters in TO, who cover hockey, to give in to the pressure from the Leafs, and spread this stupidity if Bob Mackenzie is part of it now.  

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7 minutes ago, Alflives said:

So sad to see a much respected reporter now just being another propaganda puppet for the Leafs.  There must be a lot of pressure on the TSN reporters in TO, who cover hockey, to give in to the pressure from the Leafs, and spread this stupidity if Bob Mackenzie is part of it now.  

McKenzie says his offence is inexistent and talks about how he can't move the puck.  He's a glass and out type of D.  Hitch towards the end of the season was talking about how you can't win playing that way - you need players who can carry the puck up the middle of the ice.  

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The more I read and ask Leaf fans about Zaitsev I wonder how he would do with Hughes. Righty Lefty. Hughes wants the puck and Zaitsev should have it as little as possible. From everyone I've talked to Zaitsev plays D just fine. Fine on D just struggles some with transition. Hughes may be a good fit.

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19 minutes ago, rekker said:

The more I read and ask Leaf fans about Zaitsev I wonder how he would do with Hughes. Righty Lefty. Hughes wants the puck and Zaitsev should have it as little as possible. From everyone I've talked to Zaitsev plays D just fine. Fine on D just struggles some with transition. Hughes may be a good fit.

Ya, keep reading more and more.

A Tanev+lower end roster player (Granlund?) for Zaitsev + Kapanen makes quite a bit of sense honestly.

Toronto gets an experienced D that makes them better in the short term back with a similar cap hit, for a guy who wants out and has a contract which is a bit rich in term and dollars.

We get a bit of a younger player who can develop with our core who "hopefully" ends up at a reasonable cap hit if the ceiling rises over the next few years.  Maybe a good fit with Hughes as he doesn't have to be that creative to hold the puck behind the net for Hughes to fly by and take out of the zone.  We also get a RW for the Horvat line.

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15 minutes ago, rekker said:

The more I read and ask Leaf fans about Zaitsev I wonder how he would do with Hughes. Righty Lefty. Hughes wants the puck and Zaitsev should have it as little as possible. From everyone I've talked to Zaitsev plays D just fine. Fine on D just struggles some with transition. Hughes may be a good fit.

Hughes will have more success with a guy he can play catch with vs a guy who handles the puck like a hot potato/grenade IMO. Even if that guy leans more towards being steady defensively than dynamic offensively, he can't be a 'glass and out' guy (Zaitsev).

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5 minutes ago, aGENT said:

Hughes will have more success with a guy he can play catch with vs a guy who handles the puck like a hot potato/grenade IMO. Even if that guy leans more towards being steady defensively than dynamic offensively, he can't be a 'glass and out' guy (Zaitsev).

Yes. To me it depends a bit on Hughes development curve. You got to think he looks to be a second pair guy for now but if he struggles he will be a bottom pairing. Zaitsez is looking like second paring at best. Issue is finding that righty to play with Hughes. A crafty right handed dman is not easy to acquire. Maybe Zaitsev is worth a try at the cost he will come at?

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Leafs fan here: 

 

i think the Leafs would be much better off keeping him, pairing him with Rielly again, so he gets the offensive minutes he wants.

 

Trade wise, Johnsson and a kapanen are on-starters. Those guys are easily worth a first round pick (Kapanen was a former 22nd overall).

 

perhaps:

Zaitsev + Riley Stotts for Tanev?

I could see Brown being included, but I think the Leafs want to package him with Marleau

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9 minutes ago, rekker said:

Yes. To me it depends a bit on Hughes development curve. You got to think he looks to be a second pair guy for now but if he struggles he will be a bottom pairing. Zaitsez is looking like second paring at best. Issue is finding that righty to play with Hughes. A crafty right handed dman is not easy to acquire. Maybe Zaitsev is worth a try at the cost he will come at?

I'd rather see Hughes played with Stecher, Tanev, (even Hutton if Hughes plays right side) or a UFA like Stralman (or Gardiner, again on the right should that happen) etc

 

Not sure who we'd play with Zaitsev and don't particularly see him as all that valuable of an add unless the sweetener is sufficiently sweet. If he was a lefty he might be ok with Tanev as a shut down pair but he's not (and Tanev is not likely here long term anyway IMO). Not sure we need a less physical, non fighting, more expensive and longer term Gudbranson replacement for people to whinge about.

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Contract aside , I don't understand the hate for this guy.  People's standards are too high when it comes to rhd. There just aren't many that are good (by NHL standards) . Most are going to have warts and if you can't accepts imperfect players you're going to end up with a pretty short roster. There were 187 defensemen that played 43 games or more last season (approx. 6 per team), 74 were rhd. Go through those 74 (ranked by ice time per game) and have a look at some of the names in the bottom half of the list. Lots of players that many fans would consider "terrible" or "barely an NHL player" etc.

 

Here is an exercise : First, disregard contract status.  Now , would you prefer Zaitsev  or a random rhd (taken from the remaining 73) ?

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1 hour ago, aGENT said:

I'd rather see Hughes played with Stecher, Tanev, (even Hutton if Hughes plays right side) or a UFA like Stralman (or Gardiner, again on the right should that happen) etc

 

Not sure who we'd play with Zaitsev and don't particularly see him as all that valuable of an add unless the sweetener is sufficiently sweet. If he was a lefty he might be ok with Tanev as a shut down pair but he's not (and Tanev is not likely here long term anyway IMO). Not sure we need a less physical, non fighting, more expensive and longer term Gudbranson replacement for people to whinge about.

I can't factor Tanev into any conversation. I'm done. Great story, great player, great man but I'm done with his injuries. Even if he isnt traded I just can't factor him into the lineup anymore. I'm into Zaitsev if the sweetener is valuable enough. I wonder what Tryamkin would think of our new right shot Russian dman if this trade were to happen. 

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11 minutes ago, rekker said:

I can't factor Tanev into any conversation. I'm done. Great story, great player, great man but I'm done with his injuries. Even if he isnt traded I just can't factor him into the lineup anymore. I'm into Zaitsev if the sweetener is valuable enough. I wonder what Tryamkin would think of our new right shot Russian dman if this trade were to happen. 

As I said:

 

Quote

and Tanev is not likely here long term anyway IMO

 

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