Confirmed Signing with Link: [TOR] Maple Leafs sign Nikita Zaitsev to extension (7 years, $4.5m AAV)

[BlueBaron]

I wrote that him doing nothing on the PK means he sucks defensively

People are going to score on power plays, if your whole opinion of him is built on 2 goals you are basically clinging to less than a minute of time and overlooking everything else he does. The guy is good and made our team better. Not sure if you are just one of those guys who likes negative attention or what but the fact that rival fans are not telling us he is crap or overpaid should tell you something, they pounce on any opening to trash talk Leaf Nation.

Basically what you have done here is identify yourself as a guy who does not watch the games (or does not grasp what is happening if he does) and who makes snap decisions based on the game highlights he watches. Either way you are just hurting your own credibility and embarrassing yourself.

 

[Jared Dunn]

Here is Don Cherry on scouting and how he would draft and build a team

To be fair, a lot of people shared the opinion of Ritchie > Nylander but yeah, this one doesn't age well.

Zaitsev looks really, really good early on. I still think they gave him one year too long, but this is going to be a steal of a contract within 2 years

 

[Morgs]

To be fair, a lot of people shared the opinion of Ritchie > Nylander but yeah, this one doesn't age well.

Zaitsev looks really, really good early on. I still think they gave him one year too long, but this is going to be a steal of a contract within 2 years

Almost every scouting agency and Leaf fan at the time will most likely disagree with you.

Don cherry is amazing. Cant be drafting those "Swins and Feedes" if you wanna be successful.

 

[MagicalRazor]

Locking in a top 4 D Even if you consider him as a number 4 , for only 4.5 mill for 7 years is an amazing deal for the leafs . Shit if Dion phaneuf was a 4.5 Mill player id be happy with that contract but i think Zits is much better , than phaneuf and a much better offensive player.

Its a steal of a deal if he drops off the last year or even 2 of his contract ( which i highly doubt he will ) you could easily retain half of his contract and trade him at 2.25 M noooo problem hes a good player and he will be one of the best D man on the team this year

 

[895]

This was never a good deal. A good deal has equal risk on both sides. There should be equal risk that the player underperforms it or overperforms.

Predictably, signing a rookie defenseman to a 7 year has blown up in Leafs faces. Especially perplexing for someone with a reputation for being old school and conservative like Lamoriello.

 

[X66]

This was never a good deal. A good deal has equal risk on both sides. There should be equal risk that the player underperforms it or overperforms.

Predictably, signing a rookie defenseman to a 7 year has blown up in Leafs faces. Especially perplexing for someone with a reputation for being old school and conservative like Lamoriello.

It was Lou's parting gift, along with the Marleau signing.

 

[Duke Silver]

This was never a good deal. A good deal has equal risk on both sides. There should be equal risk that the player underperforms it or overperforms.

Predictably, signing a rookie defenseman to a 7 year has blown up in Leafs faces. Especially perplexing for someone with a reputation for being old school and conservative like Lamoriello.

Yep, Zaitsev had 86 NHL games to his name when he signed for 7 years.

Only two players have played less NHL games and received a contract of more than 7 years: Klingberg (65GP) and Klefbom (79GP).

Klingberg put up 40 points in 65GP, while Zaitsev put up 36 points in 86GP.... but for some reason we gave Zaitsev the same cap hit % (6.2%) as Klingberg?!

 

[2022 Stanley Cup]

Yep, Zaitsev had 86 NHL games to his name when he signed for 7 years.

Only two players have played less NHL games and received a contract of more than 7 years: Klingberg (65GP) and Klefbom (79GP).

Klingberg put up 40 points in 65GP, while Zaitsev put up 36 points in 86GP.... but for some reason we gave Zaitsev the same cap hit % (6.2%) as Klingberg?!

You deserve nothing but bad things for bringing this thread into 2019. Curse you!!

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

People commenting on the term are not necessarily "hating" on Toronto, the exact same things were brought up for Klefbom and Ekblad when they signed for similar term on their second contracts. One has worked out great, one so far hasn't. It's just an objective observation, not a vendetta.

This should be stickied and posted at the top of every Leafs thread on this forum.

 

[JT Kreider]

It was Lou's parting gift, along with the Marleau signing.

Cue X-files music Lou knew he was leaving Toronto for the Isles so he clogged up the Leafs cap space in hopes of preventing them from signing Tavares. Or even worse looking at a huge cap crunch if they did sign JT which would cost them one of the Big 3

 

[XXIV97]

Yep, Zaitsev had 86 NHL games to his name when he signed for 7 years.

Only two players have played less NHL games and received a contract of more than 7 years: Klingberg (65GP) and Klefbom (79GP).

Klingberg put up 40 points in 65GP, while Zaitsev put up 36 points in 86GP.... but for some reason we gave Zaitsev the same cap hit % (6.2%) as Klingberg?!

Klefbom played 77 games (23 points) but Klefbom was only 22 years old.

 

[howkie]

Who dares to smack Zaitsev, best damn "ufa-signing" over decades, or whatever that thread was couple of years back...

 

[Kamiccolo]

Quality bump. Leafs won last night so people have to bump years old threads to get their shots in.

 

[LarKing]

Quality bump. Leafs won last night so people have to bump years old threads to get their shots in.

Pretty sure your fanbase is infamous for bumping every old thread about the Leafs at the end of the season. Why wouldn’t you want this one bumped too?

 

[TGWL]

Quality bump. Leafs won last night so people have to bump years old threads to get their shots in.

Oh, settle down. Everybody isn't out to get the Leafs.

 

[Kotkaniemi15]

Great contract

 

[PuckInTheNards]

Man... this thread is pure gold. Should be used as an instructional thread for new posters before they interact with Leafs fans on HF.

 

[smack66]

Great contract

I was hoping to find a picture of Karl Alzner holding a stone while standing in a glass house but couldn't find one.

Every team has a contract they'd like to shed.

 

[Kotkaniemi15]

I was hoping to find a picture of Karl Alzner holding a stone while standing in a glass house but couldn't find one.

Every team has a contract they'd like to shed.

Alzner's contract is up in three years. The Leafs still have Zaitsev for 5 years.

 

[Kamiccolo]

Pretty sure your fanbase is infamous for bumping every old thread about the Leafs at the end of the season. Why wouldn’t you want this one bumped too?

And don't you "neutral" fans on your high horses call it out? So why not be the shining example of HFboards and practice what you preach.

Everyone and their mother knows the contract sucks. Doesn't mean at the time it couldn't have gone well. He was playing on the PP and used much differently in his rookie year, now he is asked to be a shutdown guy because there are too many better offensive players and he doesn't fit the role.

Shit happens.

 

[Kamiccolo]

Man... this thread is pure gold. Should be used as an instructional thread for new posters before they interact with Leafs fans on HF.

Because it's always Leaf fans. No other fans are ever wrong or unreasonable.

*eye roll*

 

[smack66]

Alzner's contract is up in three years. The Leafs still have Zaitsev for 5 years.

so what you're trying to say is your teams albatross contract is possible a little less ugly then another teams. o.k.

 

[X66]

Alzner's contract is up in three years. The Leafs still have Zaitsev for 5 years.

Unlike Alzner, the Leafs can actually move Zaitsev.

 

[TeddyBare]

Unlike Alzner, the Leafs can actually move Zaitsev.

Yeah if they attach picks

 

[MLSE]

I personally thought Zaitsev was never the same after getting injured last year but I mean the contract does look bad now.