Proposal: Vancouver - Toronto

[justafan22]

Based from Jason Botchford's of the Athletic's speculation over the Leivo deal last week:



I wonder if this deal makes sense as a framework:

To Vancouver: Nikita Zaitsev, 3rd rounder

To Toronto: Sam Gagner, Troy Stecher

The cap hit's are within a 100k of each other, so that's not an issue. Canucks get a 2nd pair RHD locked in long term while the leafs get a younger RHD and cap flexibility. Leafs can add mid round picks/prospects if needed to sweeten the pot.

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[Red Piller]

Based from Jason Botchford's of the Athletic's speculation over the Leivo deal last week:



I wonder if this deal makes sense as a framework:

To Vancouver: Nikita Zaitsev, 3rd rounder

To Toronto: Sam Gagner, Troy Stecher

The cap hit's are within a 100k of each other, so that's not an issue. Canucks get a 2nd pair RHD locked in long term while the leafs get a younger RHD and cap flexibility. Leafs can add mid round picks/prospects if needed to sweeten the pot.

Zaitsev contract is too long and it’s debatable if he’s a top 4. Seems like a Benning move though, which is worrisome.

 

[AKL]

I guess I don’t see why Vancouver would do this.

 

[justafan22]

Zaitsev contract is too long and it’s debatable if he’s a top 4. Seems like a Benning move though, which is worrisome.

I only proposed this since it's Botchford tbh, he knows some stuff with sources etc...

 

[Elias GOATtersson]

As a canucks fan, I really hope they don’t trade stetcher. He’s been looking really solid.

 

[Rowlet]

I like Stetcher a lot, I'd rather keep him at his cost-controlled price instead of Zaitzev's insane contract, no matter how much of an upgrade he might be.

 

[Liferleafer]

Well, i'd do it!! (Which means it's probably not a move Vancouver should make)

 

[TorontoTrades]

I like Stetcher a lot, I'd rather keep him at his cost-controlled price instead of Zaitzev's insane contract, no matter how much of an upgrade he might be.

Lol 4.5 million for a top 4 RHD is now an "insane contract"

Never change HF.

 

[Nizdizzle]

Zaitsev contract is too long and it’s debatable if he’s a top 4. Seems like a Benning move though, which is worrisome.

It really isn't. He has played 20+ minutes on a team that has been top-3 in the NHL all season long. He won't be a stud, and his contract is way too long for a player of his calibre, but he is certainly at least a #4.

 

[Wry n Ginger]

Stetcher has progressed well this year. He is showing he has potential to play higher up the line-up. Canucks should say No to this offer.

 

[Kamiccolo]

Wasn't Stetcher the guy who was trending really well and then went to Russia?

I'll trust our scouts but I think Zaitsev gets too much flack on here and mostly from Leaf fans because he doesn't put up points but he's a good player. He's getting a lot of crap because his caphit hurts us keep all our players.

The extra 4M would certainly help us a ton going forward. There has been smoke about Dubas wanting to move Z for a while too.

Should be interesting.

Is there a scouting report on Stetcher? I know literally nothing about him. What side D does he play, strengths and weaknesses and what type of D is he on a contender>

 

[Lemmiwinks]

Wasn't Stetcher the guy who was trending really well and then went to Russia?

I'll trust our scouts but I think Zaitsev gets too much flack on here and mostly from Leaf fans because he doesn't put up points but he's a good player. He's getting a lot of crap because his caphit hurts us keep all our players.

The extra 4M would certainly help us a ton going forward. There has been smoke about Dubas wanting to move Z for a while too.

Should be interesting.

Is there a scouting report on Stetcher? I know literally nothing about him. What side D does he play, strengths and weaknesses and what type of D is he on a contender>

Nope, you're thinking of Tryamkin.

 

[Skirbs1011]

I guess I don’t see why Vancouver would do this.

Bennings playing the long game trying to lure tryamkin back.

 

[Randy Randerson]

fwiw, if Zaitsev turns out to be the player that he was in his rookie year, his contract is completely fine. He was bad last year but really hurt (broken foot, concussion, really bad flu), we thought he would rebound this year without the injuries but that hasn't happened. It's a gamble for sure for a team acquiring him

The Leafs might be in the best position to make Zaitsev useful though, if he's a below average #4 it's looking like Dermott will be a very good 2nd pairing dman so he can probably balance that out, especially possession wise

 

[DoobieDubas]

Zaitsev reminds me of that shot blocker D on NJ i forget his name because im a idiot

 

[Drew311]

It really isn't. He has played 20+ minutes on a team that has been top-3 in the NHL all season long. He won't be a stud, and his contract is way too long for a player of his calibre, but he is certainly at least a #4.

I don't agree with this line of thinking. The Leafs are a top team because they score a bunch and have an elite goaltender. Zaitsev hasn't been much help with driving possession or keeping the puck out of the net. Ideally he's on the bottom pairing, but he's playing in a second pairing role (which he doesn't look comfortable doing) because the Leafs have terrible RHD depth.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Lol 4.5 million for a top 4 RHD is now an "insane contract"

Never change HF.

It's more the term at 6 more years with a modified NTC. $4.5 mill is reasonable for a top 4 dman, but based on last season there have been some doubts that he can consistently fill that role.

It's a risky move that the Canucks shouldn't do just for the sake of a shakeup. Stecher has been having a good season so far, this doesn't make sense.

Who knows, maybe this is a desperation move to try to get Tryamkin to come back?

 

[GoodbyeLuongo]

Pass. Stecher is criminally underrated. Sure he has the occasional brain fart in his own end but for the most part he's a really reliable player. Probably going to have a career high in points and his defensive game has really started to come along.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Zaitsev reminds me of that shot blocker D on NJ i forget his name because im a idiot

Tallinder?

 

[Nizdizzle]

I don't agree with this line of thinking. The Leafs are a top team because they score a bunch and have an elite goaltender. Zaitsev hasn't been much help with driving possession or keeping the puck out of the net. Ideally he's on the bottom pairing, but he's playing in a second pairing role (which he doesn't look comfortable doing) because the Leafs have terrible RHD depth.

I thought the same the first few games of the year, but I think he has cleaned up his play where he isn't out of place on the 2nd pairing. I'm okay with agreeing to disagree, because I don't really care enough to debate about it and I'm only going by my own eye test rather than any analytics.

 

[Tit]

No reason for the leafs or the nucks to do this.
I'd rather trade Gardiner for stretcher and keep Zaitsev.

 

[biturbo19]

Basically, i look at this proposal as boiling down to: a 3rd round pick, in exchange for taking on that $4.5M Zaitsev cap hit for his 29-32 year old seasons. I don't think that's quite enough to consider it...especially since that's probably the range of years where the Canucks will be looking to start competing and dealing with the sort of cap crunch that's about to hit the Leafs as young core pieces come off their ELCs.

Stecher for Zaitsev as players right now, is probably more or less a wash. If Zaitsev rebounds to his rookie form, maybe it swings a bit that way, but if Stecher continues to improve incrementally, maybe it swings that way. But they're probably more or less comparable #4ish RHD. With a fairly significant salary gulf between them, for the time being at least.

The Gagner deal going to TOR obviously helps offset that salary gulf this year and next, but after that...it's just pure cap dump going to Vancouver for 4 years. Years that venture into the players' 30s where some decline is to be expected from a middling guy like Zaitsev.

So it'd have to be more than just a (probably late) 3rd round pick to justify it. And even then...i'm just not sure it's worth hamstringing the future cap flexibility from 2020-2024. Where if/when you end up paying guys coming off ELCs, you're probably spending more than a 3rd to dump those likely "worst years" of the Zaitsev deal to make salary space for others, as the Leafs would be doing right now.

 

[Rowlet]

Lol 4.5 million for a top 4 RHD is now an "insane contract"

Never change HF.

the dollar amount is fine, it's the term and the NTC that I don't like

 

[Rowlet]

Zaitsev reminds me of that shot blocker D on NJ i forget his name because im a idiot

from the 2010? are you thinking of Anton Volchenkov?

 

[TorontoTrades]

the dollar amount is fine, it's the term and the NTC that I don't like

5 more years for a 27 year old and a 10 team no trade list.

its not as bad as everyone is making it out to be.