Speculation: Would Buffalo be interested in Zaitsev?

[dasaybz]

How is this 10 pages?

 

[Team Cozens]

That is not correct. How can Zaitsev be there with some of those players. Zaitsev plays 20 minutes a game and kills penalties. He is younger faster and better than many of those players listed. He is in the wrong list. You have to put him with the player's that have value.

How? His contract!
Okposo plays a ton of minutes, do you want him???

 

[tsujimoto74]

Some Buffalo fans are treating this rumor like a shipping barge full of Toronto's garbage waiting to landfill downtown Buffalo.

Zaitsev is fine. BUF could use him. Toronto could use him!

If BUF sees an opportunity here then great, but there's no way Zaitsev is a pennies to the dollar transaction.

Nobody "could use" a $4.5M bottom pairing defenseman for 5 years. Every team in the league has far better uses for their limited cap space than that. You can tell because Toronto is trying to dump him despite being a team that has a clear need for quality RHD.

 

[LeafFever]

Nobody "could use" a $4.5M bottom pairing defenseman for 5 years. Every team in the league has far better uses for their limited cap space than that.

But is he bottom-pairing? I don't see how you can say conclusively he is. I think some of this is on the Leafs. He was his best as a rookie and they changed his role.

 

[is the answer jesus]

They have the the two Jakes, they have Zaitsev they have Dermott. They are a good defence, they can get better though.

All good defenseman. All play the left side. They don't have depth on the right side that's why Zaitsev gets 20 minutes a night.

Ask Mike Babcock if Zaitsev is crap. He loves him.

Yeah because I'm sure a coach would tell you exactly what he thinks of a player.

 

[TBF1972]

It depends if you know what you are tasting like wine or scotch or cigars. They could have got the beans from civit cat poor. A connoisseur would know it's kopi luwak.

And Zaitsev plays like he was eaten, partially digested and pooped out again. Unfortunately this doesn't add value on a hockey player.

 

[tsujimoto74]

But is he bottom-pairing? I don't see how you can say conclusively he is. I think some of this is on the Leafs. He was his best as a rookie and they changed his role.

Uhhh...Yeah. Nothing about his numbers are good. His possession metrics are bad. His counting stats are bad. The only thing you can do with him is hide him on the 3rd pairing and try to prop up his stats with PP time.

 

[LeafFever]

All good defenseman. All play the left side. They don't have depth on the right side that's why Zaitsev gets 20 minutes a night.

Yeah because I'm sure a coach would tell you exactly what he thinks of a player.

They tell you based on how they play them. Look at his usage.

 

[Flukeshot]

Definitely a stretch to say Zaitsev would help. Would half price Zaitsev even be seen as a value at the moment?

I would agree with most Leafs fans and say retention is a bad idea. It's too long a contract. Best to give him away with a pick and cut your loses.

Or keep him another year and hope he bounces back. I think he is his own worst problem mentally and can bounce back.

 

[is the answer jesus]

They tell you based on how they play them. Look at his usage.

Look in the post you quoted. Most coaches don't like playing defenseman on their off hand side. Toronto is loaded with quality Lefties. This isn't really that hard to comprehend.

 

[FerrisRox]

We have no idea if the Leafs want to move him. Some fans do though.

Yeah, it's a real head scratcher and hard to figure out if the Leafs want to move him.

 

[TBF1972]

They tell you based on how they play them. Look at his usage.

Missing alternatives. Would he play the same minutes on most playoff bound teams? I seriously doubt that.

 

[FerrisRox]

Leafs trdaed Phaneuf and Clarkson when HF tool us they could never be moved. Zaitsev is younger, cheaper. He can be moved.

And both of those trades proved they had zero value.

And in the case of Dion Phaneuf, right up until he trade, there were tons of Leaf fans swearing he was a legit #1 defenseman and he wasn't overpaid.

 

[TOGuy14]

Missing alternatives. Would he play the same minutes on most playoff bound teams? I seriously doubt that.

This is a weird comment in the context of this thread.

He is currently playing large minutes on a playoff bound team, one would assume he would have equal or greater opportunity on a non-playoff team like Buffalo

 

[LeafFever]

And both of those trades proved they had zero value.

And in the case of Dion Phaneuf, right up until he trade, there were tons of Leaf fans swearing he was a legit #1 defenseman and he wasn't overpaid.

They were traded....No cap was eaten on either guy. We were told the opposite was going to happen.

 

[LeafFever]

Look in the post you quoted. Most coaches don't like playing defenseman on their off hand side. Toronto is loaded with quality Lefties. This isn't really that hard to comprehend.

How do you know that's the only reason?

 

[Leaf Fans]

Yeah, it's a real head scratcher and hard to figure out if the Leafs want to move him.

Maybe for you.

 

[is the answer jesus]

And both of those trades proved they had zero value.

And in the case of Dion Phaneuf, right up until he trade, there were tons of Leaf fans swearing he was a legit #1 defenseman and he wasn't overpaid.

Yup. There's always a delusional contingent in a fan base.

 

[is the answer jesus]

How do you know that's the only reason?

Every stat related to Zaitsev is terrible including advanced stats. He doesn't pass the eye test either (most nights). There's been multiple rumors that Toronto would like to move him to free up cap space. Why would they even consider that if he's anywhere near the player you (and apparently Babcock) think he is? The most obvious answer is usually the correct one. They don't have another quality option that they feel comfortable enough playing on the right side.

 

[powerstuck]

Why is Zaitsev being offered again ?

 

[Baksfamous112]

Ask Mike Babcock if Zaitsev is crap. He loves him.

Of course he’ll say he loves him. Claude Julien said the same thing about Alzner’s play last year. He won’t put one of his player under the bus.

 

[Pocket Hercules]

How is this 10 pages?

Because it's a Leaf trolling thread where rival teams are secretly allowed to take potshots against us. If this were about a HFBoards "darling" team, like Carolina, this thread would even last through 1 page.

Change my mind...

 

[LeafFever]

Of course he’ll say he loves him. Claude Julien said the same thing about Alzner’s play last year. He won’t put one of his player under the bus.

Alzner sits in the press box. Zaitsev plays 20+ minutes a night...Coaches' usage shows what he thinks.

 

[LeafFever]

Because it's a Leaf trolling thread where rival teams are secretly allowed to take potshots against us. If this were about a HFBoards "darling" team, like Carolina, this thread would even last through 1 page.

Change my mind...

Yup.

 

[ottomaddox]

Nobody "could use" a $4.5M bottom pairing defenseman for 5 years. Every team in the league has far better uses for their limited cap space than that. You can tell because Toronto is trying to dump him despite being a team that has a clear need for quality RHD.

Stop. This is just fickle/dismissive posting.

All you need to do is look at recent history. Some players that seem to be "untradeable" get traded. They find a new life on a different team. This happens almost as much as when Fantasy Hockey Fans get together and come up with "negative value" lists