Value of: Nikita Zaitsev

[Holymakinaw]

He's overpaid by 2 million per year and has too much term. It's a bad contract.

But he's a RHD and has NHL experience and you just never know who might be in need of one of those.

If the Leafs add a 2nd round pick.......they might be able to trade him to someone out there.

Negative value but not impossible to move.

 

[Beige Van]

I think teams would be more interested in Alzner than Zaitsev. That term and cap... woof

 

[LeafGrief]

He's a #4 guy playing #2/3 difficulty minutes. Good shot suppression numbers and defensive results, but his breakout is absolutely terrible and he hasn't been good in the offensive zone at all.

Term is crazy, but the cap hit is $1m too high at the absolute most. Considering that most RHD get valued somewhere between Jesus and the Mona Lisa around here, I think Zaitsev has real positive-asset value. A top4 RHD is going to have a lot of teams interested, even if the cap isn't perfect. I'd say a 2nd rounder is probably fine, but any deal will be complicated because of the cap.

That said, I don't know how the Leafs move him. Hainsey is leaving/declining and if Zaitsev goes that means the Leafs are running... Ozhiganov-Hainsey/Liljegren-Holl on the right side next year? We'll keep Zaitsev, thanks. Cap hit will look more and more reasonable as time goes on and we'll keep the 2nd pairing RHD spot locked up even if it isn't optimal.

 

[LeafGrief]

I think teams would be more interested in Alzner than Zaitsev. That term and cap... woof

One guy is playing in the NHL with 6 years on his deal. One guy is playing in the AHL with 4 years on his deal. The guy in the AHL makes 125k more. Sure, teams want the 30 year old LHD who's dead cap instead of the 27 year old RHD who's at least an NHL'er, because of two years more after four years of cap inflation.

lol

 

[Wingsfan 4 life]

Leafs won't trade him anyway. Their right side is lacking as it is.

Who cares what anybody thinks his value is?

 

[Captain Mountain]

One guy is playing in the NHL with 6 years on his deal. One guy is playing in the AHL with 4 years on his deal. The guy in the AHL makes 125k more. Sure, teams want the 30 year old LHD who's dead cap instead of the 27 year old RHD who's at least an NHL'er, because of two years more after four years of cap inflation.

lol

...Psst...

Montreal would have waived Zaitsev if they had him instead of Alzner. They waived Alzner since they wanted to keep their D depth and knew no one would claim him.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Virtually nothing when you factor in his contract and the player. He is a D man with minimal offence, who is often torched in the playoffs.

Most GM's I suspect would rather try to sign a UFA as in a Cole or De Haan who are better and have better contracts than Zaitsev.

Leafs are trying to make room to sign players. GM's know this. I would take a Mcphee approach and insist on a draft pick, most likely a 1st at worst a 2nd to take him off the Leafs hands.

 

[LeafGrief]

...Psst...

Montreal would have waived Zaitsev if they had him instead of Alzner. They waived Alzner since they wanted to keep their D depth and knew no one would claim him.

The Habs are playing David Schlemko as their top LHD, to the tune of 20 minutes a night. Jordie Benn plays 18. If Karl Alzner can't play minutes on one of the worst LHD's in the entire league, then he's not an NHL player and his contract is awful. The Leafs have a pretty bad RHD, but at least Zaitsev can play NHL minutes and isn't rapidly declining.

 

[Captain Mountain]

The Habs are playing David Schlemko as their top LHD, to the tune of 20 minutes a night. Jordie Benn plays 18. If Karl Alzner can't play minutes on one of the worst LHD's in the entire league, then he's not an NHL player and his contract is awful. The Leafs have a pretty bad RHD, but at least Zaitsev can play NHL minutes and isn't rapidly declining.

The Habs are playing Kulak as their top LHD, not Schlemko. And all of Montreal's LHD are interchangable, they just want to try knew things to see if someone catches fire.

Finding players to play NHL minutes isn't hard. Playing NHL minutes well isn't easy. And Zaitsev isn't playing NHL minutes well. Montreal could waive/trade someone like Benn and Schlemko next week and have Alzner back up playing sizable minutes too. That doesn't prove anything though or make Alzner better.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Karl Alzner or Milan Lucic

 

[Snowman]

He's a #5 at best, defenseman, but better suited to a 6/7 role. If he had a decent contract I think he might get a 3rd from a desperate team. However, with the contract he has, I can't see anyone giving up more than a 4th if they are desperate.

 

[WesMcCauley]

Would think someone will probably give a 2nd rounder for him? RH shot, acceptable cap hit but the contract is long. I wouldnt want him on my team because i think there are better and cheaper options to be had and that much term on a #4-5ish defensemen is a little much for me.

He has absolute no offense in him which i would want if i traded for a defensemen who isnt fantastic defensively and has that much term. With that said his cap hit is ok, RH shot and he is a decent player so im pretty confident some teams would trade a 2nd rounder for him.

 

[BB88]

#4 RHD

2nd rounder atleast

Not if teams consider Toronto in "cap hell" and he's the guy they need to move.

At that point it gets difficult.

 

[member 157595]

Never said Zaitsev made any sense for the Habs, because he doesn’t.

My issue is other team fans who feel obligated to drop one-line posts, always critical, never adding value to the conversation, and ignoring their own flawed contacts to throw stones.....

For the record, I was never thrill with Zaitsev’s contract to begin with. If he isn’t traded, is see him offered to Seattle, with a pick, to move him along.

That's pretty much every single thread on the main boards no matter what team you cheer for. Hot takes, bias, no understanding of sample side and bait.

 

[LeafSteel]

That's pretty much every single thread on the main boards no matter what team you cheer for. Hot takes, bias, no understanding of sample side and bait.

It’s why HF threads never cease to disappoint. Can never see a hockey discussion between fans that doesn’t have a snarky, put down agenda.

 

[LeafGrief]

The Habs are playing Kulak as their top LHD, not Schlemko. And all of Montreal's LHD are interchangable, they just want to try knew things to see if someone catches fire.

Finding players to play NHL minutes isn't hard. Playing NHL minutes well isn't easy. And Zaitsev isn't playing NHL minutes well. Montreal could waive/trade someone like Benn and Schlemko next week and have Alzner back up playing sizable minutes too. That doesn't prove anything though or make Alzner better.

I went off icetime, good for Kulak. But really, you're telling me that Alzner isn't in the lineup over a bunch of interchangable scrubs as if that's supposed to help the case?

One of the Habs RD would switch over to the left side, much like Hainsey does for the Leafs. Even if I bought that Juulsen is better than Zaitsev, Benn, Schlemko, and Kulak aren't.

 

[Hunter368]

That's pretty much every single thread on the main boards no matter what team you cheer for. Hot takes, bias, no understanding of sample side and bait.

Agreed.....the more engaged posters ignore those types of posts, instead of reacting to them, the less we will see of them. The day I started ignoring bait posts & dumb posters.....my enjoyment on this site increased by 10 fold. Sadly most people react to these type of bait posts.

 

[Captain Mountain]

I went off icetime, good for Kulak. But really, you're telling me that Alzner isn't in the lineup over a bunch of interchangable scrubs as if that's supposed to help the case?

You're comparing Alzner to Zaitsev (or one of Montreal's interchangable depth D), not, like, a good player.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

All we have to do is trade Zaitsev for a 2nd rounder + B prospect, and then move the 2nd in a trade for a better defender at half the cost. Its easy when you have the easy button like we do.

 

[member 157595]

Agreed.....the more engaged posters ignore those types of posts, instead of reacting to them, the less we will see of them. The day I started ignoring bait posts & dumb posters.....my enjoyment on this site increased by 10 fold. Sadly most people react to these type of bait posts.

I agree with you. If you take this place, and the Internet in general, too seriously you've already lost.

Objectively, Zaitsev probably has no value at all on the trade market, not until his play improves. He's better than he was last year but definitely not as good as he was his 1st year, after which Lou prematurely ejacsigned him to a long-term contract.

 

[Tit]

The issue is not his value around the league.
The leafs have an almost 40 year old playing his off wing, a russian playing his first year, and zaitsev.
That's it on the right side.

His value to the leafs is higher than it would be anywhere in the league.
If Hainsey walks, we gotta hope to God Liljegren makes the team next year.
And if Gardiner also walks, who is going to play D?

Reilly - Zaitsev
Dermott - Ozzy
Sandin - Liljegren

That is a pretty weak D, imo.

Something has to give. We can't go into next season with that.

 

[Hunter368]

I agree with you. If you take this place, and the Internet in general, too seriously you've already lost.

Objectively, Zaitsev probably has no value at all on the trade market, not until his play improves. He's better than he was last year but definitely not as good as he was his 1st year, after which Lou prematurely ejacsigned him to a long-term contract.

Totally agree

 

[LeafGrief]

You're comparing Alzner to Zaitsev (or one of Montreal's interchangable depth D), not, like, a good player.

And you're comparing an AHL player who can't crack the lineup where a bunch of scrubs are playing his position to an NHL defenseman who plays top4 minutes on the 2nd place team in the league. I'm not trying to sell Zaitsev as some stud here, I called him a #4 in my first post. He's playing over his head and his numbers reflect that. But to say that he would be waived instead of Alzner is completely silly unless you forgot that players can play their off-side.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

Re: 2nd paragraph. I've seen various posts (i.e. CapFriendly armchair) about next year's Leafs roster that meets the anticipated cap of $83 m next year ($3.5 increase). One thing that I've noticed is that our defense looks a little thin and shaky. Not sure how we can afford to get better defenders to fill the holes of those potential defenders we are trading away, especially with the kind of (limited) money that we will have to spend.

The issue is not his value around the league.
The leafs have an almost 40 year old playing his off wing, a russian playing his first year, and zaitsev.
That's it on the right side.

His value to the leafs is higher than it would be anywhere in the league.
If Hainsey walks, we gotta hope to God Liljegren makes the team next year.
And if Gardiner also walks, who is going to play D?

Reilly - Zaitsev
Dermott - Ozzy
Sandin - Liljegren

That is a pretty weak D, imo.

Something has to give. We can't go into next season with that.

All we have to do is trade Zaitsev for our 2nd rounder + B prospect, and then move the 2nd in a trade for a better defender at half the cost. Its easy when you have the easy button like we do.

Above posts hone in the more important issues with our blueline.

 

[Captain Mountain]

And you're comparing an AHL player who can't crack the lineup where a bunch of scrubs are playing his position to an NHL defenseman who plays top4 minutes on the 2nd place team in the league. I'm not trying to sell Zaitsev as some stud here, I called him a #4 in my first post. He's playing over his head and his numbers reflect that. But to say that he would be waived instead of Alzner is completely silly unless you forgot that players can play their off-side.

Toronto isn't in second place because their D is good, they're in 2nd place because their offense is elite and Andersen is playing insanely well.

Zaitsev is basically who Alzner was last year (and before that). Lets not pretend Alzner was

As for the off-side thing, yes D can do it, but most coaches don't like doing it unless they have too.

And guess what? I still wouldn't want Zaitsev over Montreal's odd assortment of NHLers. Because he isn't really better than them, but would be playing his offside.