Is Nikita Zaitsev one of the top free agent signings of the last few years?

[MessierII]

That's the thing. Around the same time the Oilers traded Hall for Larsson, the Leafs got a guy just as good if not better for free. After that trade all the talk was will Marner or Nylander be traded for a top 4 D? Nope. The Leafs got one for nothing.
Zaitsev has been so solid this year.

Yeah Zaitsev and his -22 in a top pairing role is totally equivalent to Larsson. It’s only a 40 goal swing the other way.

 

[bobermay]

I'd take Zaitsev over Radulov, easily.

good lord

Care to provide a better rebutal...? Why is it insane to suggest that a 25 year old #2/#3 RHD is more valuable than a 31 year old 2nd line winger?

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Care to provide a better rebutal...? Why is it insane to suggest that a 25 year old #2/#3 RHD is more valuable than a 31 year old 2nd line winger?

cause Zaitsev is a leaf

 

[ViD]

Zaitsev was Russia’s best d man in the World Cup, so it’s hardly a surprise he fit with the Leafs

 

[JT Kreider]

Off the top of my head, Shattenkirk is better. Probably a couple more so to answer the OP, no.

Lol I would take Zaitsev over Shattenkirk all day, even moreso when you take age and contract into consideration.

Shatty is atrocious defensively. I know Blues fans warned us, but it's even worse than they said.

 

[Lampedampe]

I'm not quite sure what's with all these threads ranking/comparing Leafs players and other players lately.

Can't you just be happy that you have some great players/prospects instead of trying to compare them to others all the time?

Zaitsev is great and will continue to be great, why try to compare him to other great free agents?

 

[Dustin]

I'm not quite sure what it's with all these threads ranking/comparing Leafs players and other players lately.

Can't you just be happy that you have some great players/prospects instead of trying to compare them to others all the time?

Zaitsev is great and will continue to be great, why try to compare him to other great free agents?

I know right? I mean not a single other fanbase has ever done that on the main board.......

 

[nickdawg95]

Nothing good that the Leafs do is allowed to be discussed

yeah because you have leaf fans that take it to that extreme by saying "zaitsev is a top 2 d man, zaitsev is the best signing ever"

Yes, yes he is. Larsson is a good #3 but Zaitsev is a legit top-pairing guy.

lol make a poll if you're so sure

 

[Man Bear Pig]

I'm not quite sure what's with all these threads ranking/comparing Leafs players and other players lately.

Can't you just be happy that you have some great players/prospects instead of trying to compare them to others all the time?

Zaitsev is great and will continue to be great, why try to compare him to other great free agents?

It's weird...its like this is a place to discuss hockey or something.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

yeah because you have leaf fans that take it to that extreme by saying "zaitsev is a top 2 d man, zaitsev is the best signing ever"

I'd love to see a leafs fan calling him the best signing ever. Calling him a #2 defenseman isn't extreme btw

 

[Dustin]

yeah because you have leaf fans that take it to that extreme by saying "zaitsev is a top 2 d man, zaitsev is the best signing ever"

lol make a poll if you're so sure

Exactly. Again no other fanbase ever does that. I mean you could search for hours on here before you would find similar posts from other fanbases......

 

[Dustin]

It's weird...its like this is a place to discuss hockey or something.

Apparently only as long as it's not Leaf related.

 

[Lampedampe]

Exactly. Again no other fanbase ever does that. I mean you could search for hours on here before you would find similar posts from other fanbases......

Yeah you might find one here and there but you won't find even close to the quantity coming from leafs fans, that was my entire point, guess you didn't get that.

 

[Dustin]

Yeah you might find one here and there but you won't find even close to the quantity coming from leafs fans, that was my entire point, guess you didn't get that.

So in your infinite wisdom, your statement was that there are more Leaf threads comparing Leaf players to other players on a site that has more Leaf fans. Hmmmm you might be on to something there.....

 

[Lampedampe]

So in your infinite wisdom, your statement was that there are more Leaf threads comparing Leaf players to other players on a site that has more Leaf fans. Hmmmm you might be on to something there.....

I guess you still don't get my point. I said you'll find one here and there (very few in other words).

Leafs related you'll find a lot, a lot more, a quantity that doesn't reflect the amount of Leafs fans compared to other fans.

 

[Dustin]

I guess you still don't get my point. I said you'll find one here and there (very few in other words).

Leafs related you'll find a lot, a lot more, a quantity that doesn't reflect the amount of Leafs fans compared to other fans.

Here's the thing, just like my comments you can ignore them.

There will always be more Leaf content on the main boards, whether that's player comparisons or just general topics about how great the Leafs are.

Along with that there will always be lots of threads about how crappy the Leafs are and how their fans overrate their players and teams.

Pick and choose which threads you wish to discuss of course but complaining that they exist will certainly not endear anyone to your cause, nor will it change how HF does it's business.

 

[Lampedampe]

Here's the thing, just like my comments you can ignore them.

There will always be more Leaf content on the main boards, whether that's player comparisons or just general topics about how great the Leafs are.

Along with that there will always be lots of threads about how crappy the Leafs are and how their fans overrate their players and teams.

Pick and choose which threads you wish to discuss of course but complaining that they exist will certainly not endear anyone to your cause, nor will it change how HF does it's business.

That's fair enough, i just wish that instead of there being threads created like this one about Zaitsev being one of the best free agency signings that there would be a thread created with the title along the lines of "The Zaitsev signing looks really good". But then again the counter argument might be that it might not be thread worthy on the main boards, which is also fair enough.

These kind of threads only lead to fans bashing other players, it didn't take many posts untill people started to trash Adam Larsson.

 

[Dustin]

That's fair enough, i just wish that instead of there being threads created like this one about Zaitsev being one of the best free agency signings that there would be a thread created with the title along the lines of "The Zaitsev signing looks really good". But then again the counter argument might be that it might not be thread worthy on the main boards, which is also fair enough.

These kind of threads only lead to fans bashing other players, it didn't take many posts untill people started to trash Adam Larsson.

Conversely any thread created about Leaf fans will always bring those that hate the Leafs in as well. Even basic blanket statements like Zaitsev was a decent signing would still get more than enough anti Leaf posts to make it a crap show.

The only thing I would like changed for the main boards is more amalgamation of threads. We don't need 10 Matthews or McDavid threads when they are all essentially saying the same thing. I don't care if I see 6 Leafs/Oilers/Penguins threads on the main board. I just don't want 5 variations of Crosby is the best player threads.

 

[LeafFever]

Yeah Zaitsev and his -22 in a top pairing role is totally equivalent to Larsson. It’s only a 40 goal swing the other way.

+/-, really? Will you compliment Zaitsev's +/- this year?

 

[MessierII]

+/-, really? Will you compliment Zaitsev's +/- this year?

Through 5 games? No

 

[LeafFever]

yeah because you have leaf fans that take it to that extreme by saying "zaitsev is a top 2 d man, zaitsev is the best signing ever"

lol make a poll if you're so sure

Do you have any quotes to back that up?
Nah, didn't think so.

 

[LeafFever]

Through 5 games? No

+/- is a terrible stat. If we were somehow having this conversation in 1987 you'd have a point.

 

[MessierII]

+/- is a terrible stat. If we were somehow having this conversation in 1987 you'd have a point.

It’s just goals for and against at even strength. If you think that’s useless so is corsi. It’s the exact same type of stat. You don’t get outscored that bad in a role your suited for unless goaltending is to blame which was not the case for the Leafs. Reilly and Zeitsev struggled as a top pair last year. Any objective Leaf fan would agree. Reilly had the worst season of his career and was clearly over his head. Zeitsev was at least able to put up decent offensive numbers but clearly struggled to play the leagues best.

 

[LeafFever]

LOL at Oiler fans being so upset they run and start a poll. Anyone can see getting Zaitsev for free is better than giving up Taylor Hall for Larsson.

 

[LeafFever]

It’s just goals for and against at even strength. If you think that’s useless so is corsi. It’s the exact same type of stat. You don’t get outscored that bad in a role your suited for unless goaltending is to blame which was not the case for the Leafs. Reilly and Zeitsev struggled as a top pair last year. Any objective Leaf fan would agree. Reilly had the worst season of his career and was clearly over his head. Zeitsev was at least able to put up decent offensive numbers but clearly struggled to play the leagues best.

There's been some ridiculous examples to show how bad +/- is. Chara went from worst in the NHl to best in 1 year. The reason? He was traded from the Islanders to a cup contender in the Sens.