Friedman: Nikita Zaitsev has requested a trade from Toronto

[Leaf Fans]

Yes, I’m sure Reimer would welcome a trade back to the team whose fan base sent his wife hundreds of death threats.

Yeah, the Leafs have their share of scumbag fans.

 

[Funk21]

Nikita Zaitsev for Colin Miller and David Clarkson.

Sold because Clarkson is on LTIR

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Yeah, the Leafs have their share of ******* fans.

Every fanbase does, there are just a huge amount of leaf fans so there are a huge amount of ***holes. No more per capita, just sheer numbers.

 

[belair]

What're the odds the Leafs tie Zaitsev to a player like Kadri to find a way to pull in a reasonable replacement for Z's minutes?

I think this trade request is a much bigger concern than is being made of it considering that it means Toronto is sitting with only two capable top four defensemen heading into training camp.

I could see Lou looking at something like this over the speculated Marner offer-sheet considering they've got cap space to work with and these are players Lamoriello is very familiar with.

Something like Zaitsev and Kadri for Mayfield, Dal Colle and a pick or prospect would make a lot of sense from both sides in my opinion. It wouldn't be the sexiest return for Toronto, but it would be a way for them to get out from under nearly all $9m of that cap for a lot of term. Mayfield would be a very sturdy presence on their back end and is signed dirt cheap for four more years.

 

[axlrose87]

What're the odds the Leafs tie Zaitsev to a player like Kadri to find a way to pull in a reasonable replacement for Z's minutes?

I think this trade request is a much bigger concern than is being made of it considering that it means Toronto is sitting with only two capable top four defensemen heading into training camp.

I could see Lou looking at something like this over the speculated offer-sheet considering they've got cap space to work with and these are players Lamoriello is very familiar with.

Something like Zaitsev and Kadri for Mayfield, Dal Colle and a pick or prospect would make a lot of sense from both sides in my opinion. It wouldn't be the sexiest return for Toronto, but it would be a way for them to get out from under nearly all $9m of that cap for a lot of term. Mayfield would be a very sturdy presence on their back end and is signed dirt cheap for four more years.

Well zaitsev still is n the team and under contract for 5 more years.
The leafs will move him if and when they are ready. His other option would be to go to Russia.
Zaitsev may not hold tremendous value but he still holds positive value outside of hfboards

 

[belair]

Well zaitsev still is n the team and under contract for 5 more years.
The leafs will move him if and when they are ready. His other option would be to go to Russia.
Zaitsev may not hold tremendous value but he still holds positive value outside of hfboards

Not without equal salary coming back. Zaitsev's salary and term negate the 'positive value' you believe he has.

But you are correct. The Leafs aren't in a position where they have to cave into the player's trade demand. But it's logical that it's in both parties' best interests for the move to happen before July 1st.

 

[Pelle31]

Well zaitsev still is n the team and under contract for 5 more years.
The leafs will move him if and when they are ready. His other option would be to go to Russia.
Zaitsev may not hold tremendous value but he still holds positive value outside of hfboards

I don't think Zaitsev is going to leave $22.5 million on the table, would you? Maybe Dubas should contact Lou in Long Island to see if they could make a deal for Zaitsev since Lou was the one who signed him to that long contract.

 

[axlrose87]

I don't think Zaitsev is going to leave $22.5 million on the table, would you? Maybe Dubas should contact Lou in Long Island to see if they could make a deal for Zaitsev since Lou was the one who signed him to that long contract.

All those analysts on both sportsnet and tsn that everyone loves to quote suggest zaitsev has positive value (albeit small).
I would be sad if he fled to Russia cause then the leafs won't get an asset for him.
I also believe they can move him with no salary coming back (with a very minor return).
There are some teams out there that desperately need to get better.
The leafs can find his replacement in a separate trade

 

[Pelle31]

All those analysts on both sportsnet and tsn that everyone loves to quote suggest zaitsev has positive value (albeit small).
I would be sad if he fled to Russia cause then the leafs won't get an asset for him but they will be getting an asset.
I also believe they can move him with no salary coming back (with a very minor return).
There are some teams out there that desperately need to get better.
The leafs can find his replacement in a separate trade

Problem is very few teams are going to take on his contract without sending a shit contract back. If Zaitsev had only 2 years left on his deal then it would be no problem because there will always be some dumb GM who thinks they'd be able to turn him around and make him a better player.

 

[axlrose87]

Problem is very few teams are going to take on his contract without sending a **** contract back. If Zaitsev had only 2 years left on his deal then it would be no problem because there will always be some dumb GM who thinks they'd be able to turn him around and make him a better player.

There are enough teams who desperately need rhd

 

[sansabri]

There are enough teams who desperately need rhd

Leafs can't trade with themselves.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Problem is very few teams are going to take on his contract without sending a **** contract back. If Zaitsev had only 2 years left on his deal then it would be no problem because there will always be some dumb GM who thinks they'd be able to turn him around and make him a better player.

According to who?

Nobody in the know has said we'll need to take bad contracts back, just that we're not getting a top-4 D level return. We're talking about getting a 2nd back instead of the usual 1st + 2nd + 2nd that top-4 RHD return.

If we take money back it's going to be a serviceable NHLer at a position we need.

 

[axlrose87]

Leafs can't trade with themselves.

The leafs have more tradable assets then any team in the league.
They will find what they need in a separate move.

 

[sansabri]

The leafs have more tradable assets then any team in the league.
They will find what they need in a separate move.

Since when?

 

[redwings25]

leafs need rhd badly and are trying to trade him. guess that show his value. at 50% retained he still has 5th rounder value

 

[Rob Brown]

leafs need rhd badly and are trying to trade him. guess that show his value. at 50% retained he still has 5th rounder value

He requested a trade. Keep up.

 

[axlrose87]

Since when?

I'm sure some people might prefer others teams assets but what teams out there have more traceable assets then the leafs (valuable pieces not attached to trade clauses)?
Which teams?

 

[Nizdizzle]

He requested a trade. Keep up.

Thats a lot to ask, for someone to read past the 4th word in a thread title.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Leafs can't trade with themselves.

No, but they can trade with other teams!

 

[Pelle31]

There are enough teams who desperately need rhd

Not a RHD who had 5 years left at $4.5 million per year who is more a 5th or 6th defenseman.

 

[Pelle31]

According to who?

Nobody in the know has said we'll need to take bad contracts back, just that we're not getting a top-4 D level return. We're talking about getting a 2nd back instead of the usual 1st + 2nd + 2nd that top-4 RHD return.

If we take money back it's going to be a serviceable NHLer at a position we need.

Problem is Zaitsev isn't a top 4 level D! So the Leafs will have to take back something to get rid of his contract.

 

[Dr Quincy]

There are enough teams who desperately need rhd

TOR is one of them and this guy was in no way a help for that need.

 

[axlrose87]

TOR is one of them and this guy was in no way a help for that need.

Again,every report coming out of tsn and sportsnet suggest that there is interest in zaitsev........ but I guess those guys only matter when they are talking about the leafs salary cap woes or those mystical offersheets

 

[Commander Clueless]

TOR is one of them and this guy was in no way a help for that need.

Zaitsev isn't a destroyer of worlds, but his loss will make a big problem even bigger.

 

[EveryDay]

He's nothing more then a cap dump..... a 3rd pairing defenceman paid like a good #4.

Good luck trading that guy without taking another bad contract in return!