Confirmed with Link: Per Friedman, Leafs and Zaitsev have agreed to move on, will find trade for him

[Kiwi]

Id be happy with a "soft/limited" deal... for me the goal is cap space to keep Marner, Kappy and AJ on the team. Then you dropkick Marleau the next year and have more money to work with.

I'd take another 2020 7th round pick, I want the whole set

 

[Nineteen67]

There’s that

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Dubas has his work cut out...

OPENING NIGHT ROSTER: (Hyman & Dermott Out)

_____ - Matthews - Nylander
_____ - Tavares - Marner (Priority #1, Marner gets done - Dubas)
_____ - Kadri - _____
Marleau - _____ - _____

We have Moore, Marchement, Gauthier, Engvall, Bracco, Korshkov, Micheyev to under contract to fill the holes. Kapanen and Johnsson need contracts.

Rielly - _____
Muzzin - ____
Rosen - _____

We have Liljigren, Sandin and Borgman and Holl to fill these spots.

 

[orbiter11]

So basically:

Rielly-___
Muzzin-___
Rosen-___

To start the year. Dermott obviously comes back and reclaims that 3rd LHD spot. I mean a lot of people agreed the Leafs' D needs an overhaul.

Hainsey will be signed for 1 or 2 years by the beginning of the season.

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

According to various posts around here, Zaitsev is an offensive defenseman (who can't pass and rarely scores), a good penalty killer (on a PK that was average in the regular season and godawful in the playoffs), a playoff warrior (0G 2A -10 in 18GP), and miscast (agreed; he should be cast into a lake).

I haven't found any reasonable suggestions as to what he's actually good at besides the one guy who keeps posting about his playoff xGF%, which might mean something if his actual GF% weren't terrible.

Good riddance.

 

[Rare Jewel]

I almost can't wait for him to get dealt just to see the stupid comments stop.

It's like the majority of people haven't even seen the guy play and are suddenly experts on him because they think they understand advanced stats.

He wasn't utilized in the right way by Babcock. The first year was about right, but these last two he's had way too much defensive responsibility.

If a team uses him with more of a balance, he'll likely preform better.

 

[Nineteen67]

Imagine a team trades for Zaitsev, and then signs Gardiner, and he ends up having to play with Gardiner again...LOL

Actually that may work

 

[Heisen]

Will probably have to include Marner or Matthews to get a team to take him. But hey our cap troubles will be over!

 

[Fogelhund]

Kristen Shilton‏Verified account @kristen_shilton 1m1 minute ago
More
Dubas said #Leafs goal would be to get Nikita Zaitsev a fresh start for reasons personal to Zaitsev, but also, "it’s not any definitive type of 'he’s definitely not going to be back'" situation. Team can't offload him for bad return. Zaitsev's agent had no comment on matter

 

[Leafs at Knight]

Kristen Shilton‏Verified account @kristen_shilton 1m1 minute ago
More
Dubas said #Leafs goal would be to get Nikita Zaitsev a fresh start for reasons personal to Zaitsev, but also, "it’s not any definitive type of 'he’s definitely not going to be back'" situation. Team can't offload him for bad return. Zaitsev's agent had no comment on matter

Yea this. Dubas isn't going to trade him if he's getting screwed over like the mainboards seem to believe. If a decent/good deal pops up he'll take it.

 

[Nithoniniel]

He wasn't utilized in the right way by Babcock. The first year was about right, but these last two he's had way too much defensive responsibility.

If a team uses him with more of a balance, he'll likely preform better.

I think the only real difference in that first year was that he played on the PP. And he never should have, considering we had two clearly better options.

 

[TheShape]

I’m not as down on him as others but there’s an opportunity to get out from the remaining term on his contract we have to pull the trigger. Just hoping we can do so without bringing any salary back.

Should be interesting to see who steps into the top 4.

 

[Nineteen67]

Bobby Mac will be on OD to discuss the situati9n.

 

[DopeyFish]

Compare it to hainsey- a better D man, who signed for lower cap and term.

hainsey is not a better defenseman

hainsey is in fact horrible

please stop talking about him in a positive light

 

[TheDoldrums]

If his "personal reasons" for wanting out of Toronto are serious enough, I wonder if he would consider going back to the KHL.

 

[ULF_55]

He will be in demand.

There is an ongoing shortage of RHD, and his contract is fine.

 

[Fogelhund]

Yea this. Dubas isn't going to trade him if he's getting screwed over like the mainboards seem to believe. If a decent/good deal pops up he'll take it.

If we can't get an asset for him, I wonder if he'd just void his contract and go home?

 

[JEI]

7 years was always a tough term to manage with the way this team was on the rise. Not a terrible player, just someone they should move away from because the cap space is vital elsewhere (not even for Marner, but to improve in other positions).

 

[dubplatepressure]

There’s that

Lol . Guess he isn't thinking what we also need to give up to trade him.

 

[ShaneFalco]

He will be in demand.

There is an ongoing shortage of RHD, and his contract is fine.

Just not for us right now

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Yea this. Dubas isn't going to trade him if he's getting screwed over like the mainboards seem to believe. If a decent/good deal pops up he'll take it.

Which is how it always was I am pretty sure. If a team offers a 2ND, and I can see a few teams that will, he will probably go.

 

[nuck]

He will be in demand.

There is an ongoing shortage of RHD, and his contract is fine.

I think they retain $1M or the deal involves something with warts coming back.

 

[Nineteen67]

Lol . Guess he isn't thinking what we also need to give up to trade him.

Hopefully it’s only a couple of 7th round picks. The Leafs have an abundance of those.

 

[supermann_98]

Don't tell me Dubas wants to resign Gardiner

 

[Nineteen67]

I think they retain $1M or the deal involves something with warts coming back.

If they retain anything, they retain the player.