Player Discussion RD Nikita Zaitsev

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HSF

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Sep 3, 2008
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Zaitsev is vastly superior to Ceci in virtually every way imaginable. Babcock is making his living running players out of town. People will look back on this trade someday as a huge negative for the Leafs, especially after they fire Babcock.

*hot take over*
Funny thing is Babcock loves Zaitzev

Zaitzev and Brown are just cap casualties
 

Micklebot

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Apr 27, 2010
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Funny thing is Babcock loves Zaitzev

Zaitzev and Brown are just cap casualties

Still really early in the season, but if icetime is an indication of how much a coach likes players, Babcock seems to really like Ceci too...
 

Deku

I'm off the planet
Nov 5, 2011
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He's........ ok. I like him better than Ceci so far but its a very small sample size. Still not stoked about 5 more years.
 
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Nac Mac Feegle

wee & free
Jun 10, 2011
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Zaitsev and Chabot are a very good pairing. Zaitsev just does his job, doesn't gamble or get out of position, sits back and allows TC to do his thing offensively. Give them another 20 or so games to get really comfortable and see how good they can become.
A number one D pairing doesn't require two equally talented guys they just need to fit well together.


Feels very Methot-ish. Sit back, be safe and solid, and let the talented kid do his thing while keeping the back end of the ice swept and tidy.

If it works, it works. Not going to try and fix what isn't broke at this point. Keep the pairing together...until something better comes along (to paraphrase Starship Troopers).
 

Kshahdoo

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Mar 23, 2008
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He's........ ok. I like him better than Ceci so far but its a very small sample size. Still not stoked about 5 more years.

He's making $4.5M/year. Look at how much top4 defensemen making in the league, who aren't half as good as Zaitsev defensively.
 

senators101

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Jan 17, 2008
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Funny thing is Babcock loves Zaitzev

Zaitzev and Brown are just cap casualties
Ceci and Zaitsev have the same caphit, they could have kept him there and traded him next year. It seems like they really downgraded though.
 

Icelevel

During these difficult times...
Sep 9, 2009
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When Zaitsev is on I feel pretty relaxed. He's not a turnover machine like Ceci and rarely makes the bad play.

He's a safe decent player aND looks like a solid compliment to Chabot
Although chabot hasn’t looked great at times. But I agree he’d likely look worse with Ceci.
Wouldn’t mind seeing chabot, demelo reunited
 

Que

What?
Feb 12, 2017
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Honestly - who cares about Zaitsev.

Having Ceci on Toronto’s playoff roster assuredly will keep them from hoisting the Stanley Cup.

*Comic book guy voice* Best. Trade. Ever.
 
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robsenz

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Apr 15, 2007
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Zaitsev > Ceci no question.
Zaitsev hasn't really done anything, but I know we've would have seen about 15 goals against us where Ceci doesn't take the man in front by now, or bobbled the puck during what would be an easy clear out of the zone. Or lost possession of the puck against a player without a stick.
 

Xspyrit

DJ Dorion
Jun 29, 2008
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Ceci and Zaitsev have the same caphit, they could have kept him there and traded him next year. It seems like they really downgraded though.

Leafs are in cap hell going forward so they can't afford luxurious support players like Zaitsev who had term (5 years left), so getting Ceci who they signed for 1 year was necessary for them. They have no choice to make that kind of move.

Zaitsev makes 4.5 per season, which is close to league average in today's NHL. And if I'm not mistaken, he already had a 3 M$ bonus paid, so the real cost in dollars for Ottawa (since we haven't been close to a cap team in more than a decade and we won't be for at least a few more years) is 3.9 M$ per season. Seems like a bargain to me for a guy like Zaitsev

Getting a solid 25 y/o bottom-6 forward like Brown on top of it was gravy. One of the best Dorion trades

Why does every trade have to be for "something special"? There is nothing wrong with solid.

Exactly. Brown is the type of forward you want in your bottom-6. He can put 30-something points from your lower lines and is tenacious all over the ice.

Building the team forward, I think he is one of the keepers since he is still relatively young

Tkachuk,White ++++
Pageau, Brown ++++

Brown, Batherson, Norris, Formenton and maybe some of the other prospects, plus the guys we pick in the first round in June. That's how the forward group could be shaping up with Namestnikov, Tierney and Duclair being question marks for the bottom-6 (Pageau and Brown too but IMO they should be here going forward)

Tkachuk-(Byfield?)-Batherson
(Holloway?)-Brown-Norris
Balcers-White-Brown
Formenton-Pageau-Davidsson
 

Ice-Tray

Registered User
Jan 31, 2006
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Really like Z so far. Seem calm, solid D, good passing, a few rushes here and there, physical.

Don’t notice him too much in a good way, but he’s almost always in the right place in the D zone. I can see why Smith was so stoked to bring him in. He’s a good fit with our star D man, so far, like Methot was for EK, and cost he us nothing to acquire.

His contract is solid value for a top 4 defenseman. Again, so far so good, thinks can always change.
 

Adele Dazeem

Registered User
Oct 20, 2015
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He's nothing special. Better than Ceci? Sure, but that's not much to brag about. At best he should be slotted as 5/6 guy and getting paid like one too.
 

Kshahdoo

Registered User
Mar 23, 2008
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Moscow, Russia
Yeah, funny thing will happen, if you try to build your opinion about the player based on fans' comments. Some people say, he's a solid top4 defenseman, while others say, he's no more, than 5/6...
 

SpezDispenser

Registered User
Aug 15, 2007
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I still like him. Waiting for the roof to collapse on that, but I'm impressed and think he'd easily get 4.5 X 5 on the open market.
 

stempniaksen

Registered User
Oct 12, 2008
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He's been better than expected and the salary won't hurt in the short term. I still think the term will bite this team, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. It would be interesting to see how he'd look away from Chabot, that's the real litmus test, imo. If he can help anchor a 2nd pairing as opposed to being "carried" by Chabot it would give me more hope he'd play at a high level through the length of his deal.
 

Cosmix

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Jul 24, 2011
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Although chabot hasn’t looked great at times. But I agree he’d likely look worse with Ceci.
Wouldn’t mind seeing chabot, demelo reunited

DeMelo is a decent third pairing Defenseman who I hope the team retains at an appropriate salary. I think he can play decently with Chabot but the team needs a better player on the top pair in the future if the team hopes to progress. Hopefully one of the prospects such as Thompson or Bernard-Docker, or a future high draft pick Defenseman, will fill that role someday. Until that day, Zaitsev will be ok but not optimal. I do not think Brannstrom is the right guy either.
 

ottawah

Registered User
Jan 7, 2011
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He's nothing special. Better than Ceci? Sure, but that's not much to brag about. At best he should be slotted as 5/6 guy and getting paid like one too.

No comparison really, Ceci has performed well above Zaitsev this year. In seemingly every category, despite getting noticeably harder deployment.
 

Boud

Registered User
Dec 27, 2011
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No comparison really, Ceci has performed well above Zaitsev this year. In seemingly every category, despite getting noticeably harder deployment.

Go on the Leafs board and read what they have to say about Ceci and you might understand what's happening here. They're all calling for him to be replaced on the top pair with superstar Justin Holl. Nevermind when Dermott is back, Ceci will be relegated to the bottom pair.

And no way in hell Ceci gets harder deployments. Most obviously because he's always on the ice with superstars, you are certainly not considering the QoT. Try to play with guys like Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Nylander and then try the same thing with Tkachuk, White, Ryan/Namestnikov and Tierney. Automatically Zaitsev plays minutes that are incrementally more challenging, more challenging minutes than Ceci will ever play in Toronto and arguably some the hardest minutes in the NHL right now playing top pair against superstars with timbits hockey level teammates when comparing with Toronto.

Zaitsev in his first few weeks in Ottawa has been much better than Ceci has been at any point in the last 3 seasons including his time with the Leafs. His play with the puck and decision-making is just on another level (Not that Ceci is hard to beat in that category), and no stats are needed to see that, it's just extremely obvious by watching games. Stats watching is useless when comparing the quality of the teams and if you think Ceci is doing better it's most definitely based on looking solely at stats without any context whatsoever and not games.

If Zaitsev can keep this level of play you won't find a single Sens fan that wouldn't make this trade again.
 
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