Friedman: Nikita Zaitsev has requested a trade from Toronto

[Kakko Schmakko]

Staal+Pionk for Zaitsev and a pick?

 

[Skin Tape Session]

Toronto fans/the media actually think he has value? He actually has negative value...

Plays top four min.check
Rhd .check
Playoff advanced stats pretty decent.check
Shut down Boston's top line better than Seth jones.check
Wears a leafs jersey...negative value.

Never change hf.

 

[Mersss]

Plays top four min.check
Rhd .check
Playoff advanced stats pretty decent.check
Shut down Boston's top line better than Seth jones.check
Wears a leafs jersey...negative value.

Never change hf.

Season stats show him as a bottom pairing d-man Check

He has been good 1 serie, doesnt chaneg the fact he suc*ed for the past 2 years

 

[Avaholic29]

Plays top four min.check
Rhd .check
Playoff advanced stats pretty decent.check
Shut down Boston's top line better than Seth jones.check
Wears a leafs jersey...negative value.

Never change hf.

5 years left at a massive overpayment for what he brings to the table? Double check

 

[Skin Tape Session]

5 years left at a massive overpayment for what he brings to the table? Double check

The crippling 4.5 million cap hit. The sky is falling. Errmergerd worst contract ever.. I could name 20 worse. It's his jersey, you know it, I know it. Next?

 

[RedMenace]

I'd take him easily for Detroit if Toronto would take back DeKeyser.

How about somthing around this at the draft:

DeKeyser and Detroit's 2019 5th round pick from Columbus

for

Zaitsev and Toronto's 2019 7th round pick from Dallas

Change of scenery for both guys; Detroit gets a RH, defensive D to slot in the 2nd/3rd pair, and Toronto gets a solid, 2nd pair LHD who's familiar with the Babcock for less term.

Thoughts? Laughter? Flaming piles of poop?

 

[sparxx87]

For once, I agree with Babcock, especially when he almost implies it might be a scam.

Analytics are a crutch for people who can't appreciate what they're seeing.

Scam is kind of harsh, but individual player metrics are pretty useless and that’s what he was laughing at.

It’s great for the game that they’ve caught up to other sports in data tracking but disconnect comes from player metrics vs team metrics.

Someone posted a screen grab of Babcock’s office white board with something titled ‘heavy shifts’. That’s the sort of stuff that can be useful, especially in game. It’s great to know which lines are going and which aren’t. I think they track all sorts of stuff like that.

Player metrics are silly.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

I'd take him easily for Detroit if Toronto would take back DeKeyser.

How about somthing around this at the draft:

DeKeyser and Detroit's 2019 5th round pick from Columbus

for

Zaitsev and Toronto's 2019 7th round pick from Dallas

Change of scenery for both guys; Detroit gets a RH, defensive D to slot in the 2nd/3rd pair, and Toronto gets a solid, 2nd pair LHD who's familiar with the Babcock for less term.

Thoughts? Laughter? Flaming piles of poop?

Just a quick glance.
He is older
Makes more
Shoots left

Only positive is the contract ends sooner.

Doesn't check enough boxes to me.

 

[Avaholic29]

The crippling 4.5 million cap hit. The sky is falling. Errmergerd worst contract ever.. I could name 20 worse. It's his jersey, you know it, I know it. Next?

I'd consider Lindell twice the defensemen zaitsev is and he's making 1.3 mil more, signed a similar deal in term too. Maybe massive is an overstatement but I can name way more serviceable dmen making similar money it's hard for a team to take that on when he doesn't Excell in one specific area like an Ian Cole or Lindell at similar AAV. Just my take.

 

[Leaf Fans]

If a team was looking for a bottom pairing 4m dollar Dman, why wouldn't they just trade for one of the guys you mentioned, who are all better than Zaitsev and signed for significantly less term?

None of the ones mentioned are better than Zaitsev.

 

[Devonator]

Toronto fans/the media actually think he has value? He actually has negative value...

You are correct...that contract basically puts Zaitsev in negative worth territory....the Leafs will have to eat some of this to get a trade done....

 

[Joel Ward]

I'd take him easily for Detroit if Toronto would take back DeKeyser.

How about somthing around this at the draft:

DeKeyser and Detroit's 2019 5th round pick from Columbus

for

Zaitsev and Toronto's 2019 7th round pick from Dallas

Change of scenery for both guys; Detroit gets a RH, defensive D to slot in the 2nd/3rd pair, and Toronto gets a solid, 2nd pair LHD who's familiar with the Babcock for less term.

Thoughts? Laughter? Flaming piles of poop?

No thanks. Lateral move on paper and the Zaitsev situation is a unique one in that his deal really isn't that bad health permitting, especially in the latter years once accounting for expected cap inflation - it's just in this coming year that his contract is an inconvenience (if he plays like he did with Muzzin) because of the cap crunch.

 

[JetsHomer]

None of the ones mentioned are better than Zaitsev.

It's not 2017 anymore dude. Zaitsev is coming off back to back garbage seasons. Both Kulikov and De Haan at the very least have been much better than Zaitsev the past two seasons

 

[Killer Orcas]

Plays top four min.check
Rhd .check
Playoff advanced stats pretty decent.check
Shut down Boston's top line better than Seth jones.check
Wears a leafs jersey...negative value.

Never change hf.

Considering Leafs biggest weakness is RHD I think HFBoards knows more then you think. If you were correct he'd be staying not asking to leave. His contract sucks he's a bottom pairing guy making top 4 money and I'm sure is tired of hearing it.

 

[Leaf Fans]

It's not 2017 anymore dude. Zaitsev is coming off back to back garbage seasons. Both Kulikov and De Haan at the very least have been much better than Zaitsev the past two seasons

Neither are better.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Considering Leafs biggest weakness is RHD I think HFBoards knows more then you think. If you were correct he'd be staying not asking to leave. His contract sucks he's a bottom pairing guy making top 4 money and I'm sure is tired of hearing it.

If that were true, he'd be asking to stay.

 

[Killer Orcas]

If that were true, he'd be asking to stay.

Not when everyone blasts him for being over paid but you apparently. He's got negative value because of his contract you'll see soon enough. It's a shame though if he never got that big deal but 2.5 - 3 instead he's be a valuable bottom pairing guy.

 

[JetsHomer]

Neither are better.

Why, because Zaitsev plays for your favourite team?

 

[Leaf Fans]

Not when everyone blasts him for being over paid but you apparently. He's got negative value because of his contract you'll see soon enough. It's a shame though if he never got that big deal but 2.5 - 3 instead he's be a valuable bottom pairing guy.

You are saying Zaitsev is a member here?

 

[Leaf Fans]

Why, because Zaitsev plays for your favourite team?

No, because he is the better player.

 

[Killer Orcas]

You are saying Zaitsev is a member here?

Of course he is isn't everyone? I'd imagine some fans at games have gave it to him but i'm assuming that. Does he not get talked about in media in Toronto? That's an honest question.

 

[JetsHomer]

No, because he is the better player.

You can post this as many times as you like, I'll still take the objective statistics that say he isn't

 

[Leaf Fans]

You can post this as many times as you like, I'll still take the objective statistics that say he isn't

Which ones? Who interprets them? Are they qualified to do so? Do all the stats agree? Otherwise they are not objectve.

 

[JetsHomer]

Which ones? Who interprets them? Are they qualified to do so? Do all the stats agree? Otherwise they are not objectve.

A lot more objective than you saying he's better " because I say so" :shrug:

 

[Leaf Fans]

Of course he is isn't everyone? I'd imagine some fans at games have gave it to him but i'm assuming that. Does he not get talked about in media in Toronto? That's an honest question.

Yes, he does. Some members of the media don't like him like that guy from Sports net. Some, but not everyone perhaps. I don't live in Canada so I have never been to a game.