Contract aside how is Zaitsev is he a serviceable 3rd pair or is he hot trash?
He gets a lot of hate in Toronto because someone has to.
He’s actually got some decent skills, he’s being thrust on the responsibility of playing a defensive role on a pairing with Gardiner but actually historically he’s more of a mobile offensive dman, at least that’s what he was back in the KHL.
He’s got a good shot but seldom uses it. I’m not sure why his development has stagnated so much in Toronto. A large part of it seems to be due to Gardiner being seen as the go-to offensive guy, so Zaitsev usually dishes to Gardiner who then feeds the forwards.
Zaitsev has a lot of comparables to Lidstrom. And yes, obviously no where near the same overall skill level, but Lidstrom-lite is a good way of qualifying him.
Where he’s doing poorly is gap control, and hockey IQ. He too often is letting the opposition gain the zone and establish a cycle with impunity, and he seems to be quite uncoordinated with Gardiner in the defensive zone, leading to a lot of scoring chances that seemed highly preventable.
In the few games where he’s been partnered with someone else, he’s done a lot better. I feel like it’s just a by-product of the Leafs’ backend. He’s unquestionably our best RHD but not good enough to be on the top line. So he defaults to the 2nd pairing but he’s not well suited to pairing with Gardiner.
Babcock still wants him used more than the 3rd pairing though. So he won’t keep him Dermott, although that’s probably the best slot for him.
His contract is fair. Not great and not an albatross like some Leafs fans believe.
And in years 5-7 will look like a steal because he’s only going to get better.