Speculation: Would Buffalo be interested in Zaitsev?

[Mickey Marner]

Willing to retain? No, that defeats the purpose of moving him.

 

[Halla]

Contract aside how is Zaitsev is he a serviceable 3rd pair or is he hot trash?

he is a 3mil dman making 4.5.
fringe #4, but probably a very good guy for the 3rd pairing

if marleau was expiring this year and not next he wouldnt even be available

 

[justafan22]

Nobody will take him for future considerations

You have to give up something you don’t want to give up or take crap back.

Wrong.

Clarkson got moved, Hossa got moved.

Leafs likely won't get back anything of value for him, but he can be moved without retaining money.

The likeliest deal I could see happening is:

Leafs trade b level prospect with Zaitsev for a mid late pick (say 5th rounder) + bad dman contract that they can either buyout or bury.

 

[Halla]

Thats just not enough. It costs alot to get rid of a contract. Especially a long contract. Just think that when Jets dumped Mason they traded Armia + 4th + 7th. And that was an expiring contract.

wait more than 2+ prospect? this aint lucic making 6 mil and not being more than a 10min/night guy

if the leafs gotta give up assets AND retain they would be better off just keeping him.
he is a 20 min a night guy that should be playing 17-18.

 

[2022 Stanley Cup]

Zaitsev + Bracco for Moulson

 

[Tit]

Zaitsev + Bracco for Moulson

Not interested in trading our only decent forward prospect.

 

[RogerRoger]

he is a 3mil dman making 4.5.
fringe #4, but probably a very good guy for the 3rd pairing

if marleau was expiring this year and not next he wouldnt even be available

Then send Marleau and a pick packing to Arizona for a 7th or something.
That's if the Leafs org think that Zaitsev is good and that he's not a problem if Marleau isn't there.

 

[Liferleafer]

Thats just not enough. It costs alot to get rid of a contract. Especially a long contract. Just think that when Jets dumped Mason they traded Armia + 4th + 7th. And that was an expiring contract.

All good, we'll just play him, no sense overpaying to move him.

 

[Hobnobs]

Zaitsev is a #6. You're all kidding yourselves if you think hes more than a bottom pairing defenseman... Right now, he has less value than Jonathan Ericsson and Brendan Smith. I doubt anyone is calling to aquire those players. Some people are delusional.

 

[Chris Chelios]

Unless Toronto gives a good prospect or a good pick, nobody will do this favor to the leafs.

 

[Hobnobs]

Then send Marleau and a pick packing to Arizona for a 7th or something.
That's if the Leafs org think that Zaitsev is good and that he's not a problem if Marleau isn't there.

They can't because Marleau has a NMC.

 

[justafan22]

Unless Toronto gives a good prospect or a good pick, nobody will do this favor to the leafs.

Zaitsev + bracco for nothing

 

[2022 Stanley Cup]

Not interested in trading our only decent forward prospect.

Who cares? We got RWs out the butt (Marner, Willy, Kap, Brown) and we NEED cap space and especially needing the cap the Zaitsev takes up. We got Moore coming up and we have other guys like Engvall, Marchment, Gauthier, Brown, Brooks, and even more than can step into a 4th line role which is where Bracco would be for the foreseeable future. Forwards are the least of our worries especially the ones that would play 4th line.

 

[LucicAndChong]

Zaitsev + Timashov + 2019 3rd + Connor Brown for Matt Moulson + Nathan Beaulieu + Alex Nylander

?

 

[TkachukNorris79]

Zaitsev + Timashov + 2019 3rd + Connor Brown for Matt Moulson + Nathan Beaulieu + Alex Nylander

?

LOL come on, that's so bad for Buffalo

 

[Finnish your Czech]

Zaitsev will be on the Leafs roster next season. He is unmoveable.

 

[Aladyyn]

From that article:



Ah yes, the old "Toronto is so much better than Buffalo, Buffalo will happily take on our scraps" from the Toronto media.

Pure speculation from someone who is ill informed on Buffalo's defensive needs. Buffalo has Risto/Bogosian/Nelson on the right side. I'd agree that Buffalo SHOULD add a RHD, Zaitsev would be our 3rd RHD. If Buffalo is adding a RHD, it should be someone to push Risto to the 2nd pair and Bogosian to the bottom If its a bottom pair d-man....why take on a bad contract? Even with 50% retained, it's not great due to the term remaining. A big no thanks.

4th. Nelson is better.

 

[LucicAndChong]

LOL come on, that's so bad for Buffalo

How? Beaulieu is scratched, Moulson is burried, and Timashov has more points in the same amount of games as Nylander. Connor Brown is a cheap 2nd/3rd line player and Zaitsev is Zaitsev

 

[Tit]

Who cares? We got RWs out the butt (Marner, Willy, Kap, Brown) and we NEED cap space and especially needing the cap the Zaitsev takes up. We got Moore coming up and we have other guys like Engvall, Marchment, Gauthier, Brown, Brooks, and even more than can step into a 4th line role which is where Bracco would be for the foreseeable future. Forwards are the least of our worries especially the ones that would play 4th line.

Bracco could be a good addition to the top 6 if he would play his off wing or kapanen would play his off wing and let bracco play RW.

We will need cheap talent here very soon.
Marleau and/or Brown wont be around possibly gone as early as this off season.
Someone will need to play their off wing, and that will open up a spot in the the top 6/9 for Bracco.

We can't trade all of our skilled prospects because have have depth at the forward position, especially not in a deal to dump Zaitsev.

 

[TkachukNorris79]

How? Beaulieu is scratched, Moulson is burried, and Timashov has more points in the same amount of games as Nylander. Connor Brown is a cheap 2nd/3rd line player and Zaitsev is Zaitsev

I feel like you're underestimating the negative value of Zaitsev's contract. Also, cool Timashov is still not valued the same an Nylander lol he's also 2 years younger. Also Moulson is off the books this year, no point in trading that now.

 

[2022 Stanley Cup]

Bracco could be a good addition to the top 6 if he would play his off wing or kapanen would play his off wing and let bracco play RW.

We will need cheap talent here very soon.
Marleau and/or Brown wont be around possibly gone as early as this off season.
Someone will need to play their off wing, and that will open up a spot in the the top 6/9 for Bracco.

We can't trade all of our skilled prospects because have have depth at the forward position, especially not in a deal to dump Zaitsev.

I agree so much with Kap's ability to play left side but in any situation he'd be a bottom 9 winger. I know we need affordable ELC players coming up for the cap crunch but what we need even more is to get rid of anchor contracts. Right now we have 2: Marleau's and Zaitsev's. Marleau has a NMC so he's staying but Zaitsev is still around for 5!!!!!! years after this one. We are going to need to part with something of value in a deal to get rid of him. If that's a 2nd or something then even better but my guess is Bracco since he has clear value to any team that wants a good play making forward. I like Bracco a lot, but the trade suggestion was just a realistic one while putting aside biases like me rooting for Bracco.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

If Buffalo was interested in Zaitsev, he would already be a Sabre. Like I'm pretty sure Leafs would take a conditional 7th for him

 

[LucicAndChong]

I feel like you're underestimating the negative value of Zaitsev's contract. Also, cool Timashov is still not valued the same an Nylander lol he's also 2 years younger. Also Moulson is off the books this year, no point in trading that now.

I feel like youre over-estimating the negative value of Zaitsev as a player. You don't seem like you watch the leafs, so you don't watch Zaitsev play on a regular basis. He isn't as bad as his stats show, and when he plays with literally anyone other than Gardiner, he plays like a 3rd pairing Dman ATLEAST. He is also being forced to play a defensive defenceman role, which he isnt going to be able to play well seeing as though he was drafted as an Offensive defenceman and played his whole career (up to the last 2 years, AKA his two worst years).

He may not be the greatest defenceman, but he is nowhere near as bad as people who don't actually watch the leafs games think he is. Playing with Gardiner makes both of their shortcomings look worse than they are because they don't play well with eachothers playstyles, but whenever Zaitsev gets a new partner (especially one that allows him to be more offensive) he is a much better player.

That trade is more than fair, but if Timashov doesn't interest you, I can add Bracco and drop the 3rd.

 

[is the answer jesus]

How? Beaulieu is scratched, Moulson is burried, and Timashov has more points in the same amount of games as Nylander. Connor Brown is a cheap 2nd/3rd line player and Zaitsev is Zaitsev

Beaulieu has been scratched because of our depth at LD, Moulson sucks but is an expiring contract. Nylander hasn't been great, but still has a decently high ceiling even if he's a longshot to get there. Timashov is a dime a dozen prospect. Connor brown is a 3rd liner. Your offer is a pile of crap. Buffalo takes on Zaitsev's garbage contract and gets a pile of spare parts in return.

 

[Liferleafer]

If Buffalo was interested in Zaitsev, he would already be a Sabre. Like I'm pretty sure Leafs would take a conditional 7th for him

Huh....i wonder who plays our 2nd/3rd pair RHD in the playoffs once we moved Z for a 7th....