Salary Cap: Zaitsev's next contract

Audi*

Registered User
Nov 22, 2009
3,434
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not sure about $ figure. likely around gardiner range? he's playing so good.. it would be hard to see his agent asking for anything less than 4

but i'm pretty sure it will be long term... ~6 years. The guy basically chose Toronto well before he was even a free agent, despite getting numerous offers from other NHL teams. he wants to stay a Leaf
 

LEAFANFORLIFE23

Registered User
Jun 17, 2010
45,389
14,256
you people are nuts to want to give him 4+ million. Guys its 1 year he has not earned that yet what if he ***** the bed next year? then you have an anchor of a contract on your hands.

he does look promising VERY VERY promising but it is still only 1 year

i say 3 years 10.5 million total take it or leave it
 

Man Bear Pig

Registered User
Aug 10, 2008
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you people are nuts to want to give him 4+ million. Guys its 1 year he has not earned that yet what if he ***** the bed next year? then you have an anchor of a contract on your hands.

he does look promising VERY VERY promising but it is still only 1 year

i say 3 years 10.5 million total take it or leave it

Would you hesitate to sign Matthews for multiple years right now? It's really not that nuts. Zaitsev has established himself. He was a top defender in Russia and he's showing here that it was no fluke. Sign him through his prime and do it before his stock rises too much. You have to lock guys up who are his age and right about to start their prime.
 

LEAFANFORLIFE23

Registered User
Jun 17, 2010
45,389
14,256
Would you hesitate to sign Matthews for multiple years right now? It's really not that nuts. Zaitsev has established himself. He was a top defender in Russia and he's showing here that it was no fluke. Sign him through his prime and do it before his stock rises too much. You have to lock guys up who are his age and right about to start their prime.


i could not possibly care less about what he did in Russia because thats Russia it takes more than 1 year to establish yourself in the NHL and he has yet to do that
 

Ciao

Registered User
Jul 15, 2010
9,919
5,735
Toronto
The Leafs are very fortunate that he chose to play in Toronto and they should lock him up at the going rate.
 

leafsfan1234

Registered User
Jun 18, 2016
2,010
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you people are nuts to want to give him 4+ million. Guys its 1 year he has not earned that yet what if he ***** the bed next year? then you have an anchor of a contract on your hands.

he does look promising VERY VERY promising but it is still only 1 year

i say 3 years 10.5 million total take it or leave it

You realize he could probably get a lot more than that back in the KHL? He's looked comfortable playing top pairing minutes the entire season, 4.5 would be a steal for getting him long term.
 

Razz

Registered User
Jan 23, 2011
4,457
719
Mississauga
I like Zaitsev but he's only played one year and does not have the pedigree for a big cap contract. I think he will get term but at a lower cap hit. Maybe even below 4.
 

Razz

Registered User
Jan 23, 2011
4,457
719
Mississauga
Agree with a lot of people here, we need to sign him ASAP. I think the sooner we get him on a long term deal, the better.
 

Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
40,975
32,364
St. Paul, MN
you people are nuts to want to give him 4+ million. Guys its 1 year he has not earned that yet what if he ***** the bed next year? then you have an anchor of a contract on your hands.

he does look promising VERY VERY promising but it is still only 1 year

i say 3 years 10.5 million total take it or leave it

Though at the same time he's not some 19 year old rookie. He came over to the Leafs after dominating the KHL.

I don't think he's worth 5+million but I'd totally be fine with a Gardiner like 4-5 year deal at 4ish million.

I'd rather over pay a young guy about to enter his prime years of play than dump money on an aging UFA.
 

indigobuffalo

Portage and Main
Feb 10, 2011
6,790
559
Winnipeg MB
Yeah, it's going to be term, term, term. This is a "rookie" only by NHL viewership standards. He's pretty much established himself as a very good blue-liner in any league, including the NHL.

This needs to be 6 or 7 years (8 if that's allowed) and probably his cap hit will be in the $4M range.

I'd say higher but given that Kadri and Rielly came in as low as they did, I'm assuming Lou has some hypnosis or similar type of coercive machination that allows him to sign people for way under market value.
 

Blaylock38

Bleeds Blue & White
Jul 7, 2010
1,093
100
Hamilton
Would you hesitate to sign Matthews for multiple years right now? It's really not that nuts. Zaitsev has established himself. He was a top defender in Russia and he's showing here that it was no fluke. Sign him through his prime and do it before his stock rises too much. You have to lock guys up who are his age and right about to start their prime.

Matthews and Zaitsev are not in the same conversation, Matthews is well known commodity and I don't think you would here anyone suprised if we announced a contract like that, multiple years, I think Z is awesome, I wouldn't be opposed if the Leafs announced a long term deal, but it wouldn't be my preference only because he may have done everything you are saying but the NHL sample size is really what is the most important, and there is simply not enough to sign to a long term extension like that, bridge deal, than long term extension seems the logical route to go.
 

Randy Randerson

Registered User
Jul 28, 2016
10,637
3,445
Hamilton
2 years 7.5 = 3.75 per year, sorry for any confusion i thought It was clearer than it was, my apologies.

Bridge deal

Ah I see - that's fair as a bridge deal

I'd like to see a longer deal though, he's done enough for me to think he's a long term top 4 dman and the 2017-2019 cap hit means very little because of all the money coming off the books and our best forwards still being on ELC's. If a longer term deal meant that we overpaid for the next 2 years (versus the AAV for a bridge deal) and got a small discount (vs the AAV from the deal following the bridge - influenced by his own play, cap increases and how sought after RHD are becoming) then I'd be all for that

Even if we paid him $1.5mil/year more than necessary for the next 2 years to get a $500k/year discount for the 3-4 years after that - he comes out ahead overall, but it benefits the team when the cap space will get tighter
 

TML Dynasty

Registered User
May 2, 2016
1,547
898
I think we will wait until after the expansion draft to sign him, it will allow us to protect Carrick as well.

I don't understand this. If we sign him we'd have to protect him? I thought he's exempt regardless?

I say lock him up long term and Id be very happy under 5 mil per. I get it's a little bit of a gamble since he hasn't played here but he's far from a kid. It would also be a gamble to bridge him and have to pay up or risk losing him if he continues to get better.
 

HoweHullOrr

Registered User
Oct 3, 2013
11,585
2,198
He's obviously saying $3.75M per year for two seasons.

I'm seeing a lot of $4.5M-$5M AAVs in this thread over a long term... but that seems a bit high considering his offensive output to date. I'm thinking $4M per x 4 years.

Gardiner got $4.05m/yr. for 5 years in 2014. Just a guess, but I'd think it will be more like $4.5 m/yr for 5 years minimum.

Just a question: Could he go back and play in Russia if something (for whatever reasons) isn't worked out? I don't think there is an agreement in place between the NHL and Russia
 
Jul 10, 2003
13,937
1,067
KW
Gardiner got $4.05m/yr. for 5 years in 2014. Just a guess, but I'd think it will be more like $4.5 m/yr for 5 years minimum.

Just a question: Could he go back and play in Russia if something (for whatever reasons) isn't worked out? I don't think there is an agreement in place between the NHL and Russia


If I'm not mistaken, he has the option to go back to Russia over being sent to the AHL...so yeah, I'm pretty sure he's got that KHL leverage on us.
 
Jul 10, 2003
13,937
1,067
KW
2 years 7.5 = 3.75 per year, sorry for any confusion i thought It was clearer than it was, my apologies.

Bridge deal


Correct me if I'm wrong, he'd be 1 year away from UFA status when that 2 year bridge deal ends??? I don't see him going for a bridge deal, he's a bit old for that. He could have stayed in Russia and likely earned better (factoring income tax rates). My feeling is that our management group made him some promises for his 2nd contract, when they lured him to Toronto in the first place.
 

Blaylock38

Bleeds Blue & White
Jul 7, 2010
1,093
100
Hamilton
i can't see Toronto promising anything for a second contract to lure him, seems unethical, especially if he were to come here and bomb, i see why people would hand out the dollars and term, he looks awesome, I just don't see why you do that now, most likely since Rielly's contract probably sets an internal cap, so even when his bridge deal expires, we would still see these similiar numbers being thrown around.

either way i hope he is a Leaf long term.
 
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