Nikita Zaitsev
The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Nikita Zaitsev from the KHL and no one knew what to expect. The undrafted defenseman was a revelation in his first North American season, and the Leafs promptly signed him to a seven years deal.
Zaitsev had a great rookie season in the NHL in terms of offensive output, scoring 36 points in a full 82 game season. The big difference between Rielly and Zaitsev is the age gap, and the fact that Zaitsev got much more power play time and doesn’t have Rielly’s defensive abilities.
Rielly has room to grow because he’s only 23, but Zaitsev on the other hand will be 26 for most of the 2017-2018 season. There isn’t much room for him to get better. What we saw this season is what we’re getting for the next seven. Obviously, coming over from the KHL, Zaitsev had to get accustomed to NA ice which may have hindered his impact on both ends of the ice.
During his second season, Zaitsev will naturally make some progression forward but nothing massive. With the same PP time as last season, Zaitsev also has a shot at reach 40 points for the Leafs, or maybe, if he really racks up those secondary assists, he could hit 50. He’s a great puck mover and a fun player to watch, if he can be even just a tiny fraction of a bit better in his own end the Leafs are going to have a great player on their hands.