Things have been rocky for the Toronto Maple Leafs as of late.
In a crucial off-season where the Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to get better to push over their first-round hump, the team got word earlier of a trade request by none other than Nikita Zaitsev.
Now, many in Leafs Nation took this news with a lot of positivity and optimism. Zaitsev has been a defensive liability for a large portion of his time with the Leafs and he’s eating up a big chunk of the team’s limited salary cap with a terrible contract.
With five years still left on his contract worth $4.5 million annually, he’s been difficult to move, and with this recent news, it puts GM Kyle Dubas in the hot seat to finally try and trade him.
It was Nikita Zaitsev who, for personal reasons, asked TOR today to try to facilitate a trade. He has five years remaining on a contract with an AAV of $4.5M. TOR will try to oblige Zaitsev but are not in a salary cap position to retain much, if any, salary.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 30, 2019
But let’s look at the flip side here and be realistic. The loss of Zaitsev could not have come at a worse time. Although Zaitsev may not be the best defenceman for the Leafs, they are also likely losing Jake Gardiner to free agency and Travis Dermott to injury. They need all the defensive help they can get at this time.
On top of that, Zaitsev’s trade value is already low enough. And with the fact that he has requested a trade, it has only gotten lower. If Dubas manages to pull off a decent trade, it’s likely not going to be in the Leafs favour. The Leafs may not even be able to get a solid top six defenceman back. And don’t forget about the salary they would likely have to take back. So realistically, where are the Leafs going to find Zaitsev’s replacement, while improving their defensive core to the best of their abilities?
The Trade Market
Toronto’s first option is to explore replacement options right in the same trade that Zaitsev will be dealt through. Like I said before, the Leafs’ trade market is very slim, given the drop in Zaitsev’s value and the fact that they have very little room to retain salary. As a result, if the Toronto Maple Leafs want to get a decent defenceman back with the limited salary cap they have, they’re really going to have to sweeten the deal with draft picks, a prospect or even a roster player.
Any team will not want to solely take on Zaitsev, so a draft pick or two of some calibre is needed regardless. However, if the Leafs do want to acquire a replacement through trades, they’ll have to make it a package deal, maybe even with other players they are thinking of shopping around, in order to nearly wipe the thought of Zaitsev’s poor value.
Pierre LeBrun (whose source in CAR is GM Don Waddell) was on TSN1040 yesterday saying the Hurricanes could have interest in doing a trade of Kapanen + Zaitsev for Pesce/Hamilton/Faulk after Zaitsev's signing bonus is paid.
— #1 A'Ja Wilson Fan (@Account4hockey) June 4, 2019
I'm not sure Tulsky would let Waddell take Zaitsev back
This idea may even come to fruition as there are rumours that the Leafs may dangle Kasperi Kapanen along with Zaitsev to try and attract one of Carolina’s prized defenceman. If the Leafs want to truly try upgrading on the defensive end, sweetening the deal may actually be their best bet.
Free Agency
The other option Dubas has, which he will likely have to utilize the most this offseason, is free agency.
This year’s free agent class isn’t that deep, however there are quite a few good looks that can be picked up for a cheap price. Aging defenceman are always available at a cheap price and can play a good amount of minutes slotting into the Leafs top 6. However it’s not ideal, as their play may not be as great as one would hope (ex. Ron Hainsey).
But the Leafs will have to do what they can with the flexibility that they have. With the impending Marner contract taking most of their salary cap space, the Leafs will push hard during free agency to replace Jake Gardiner with a viable top four defenceman. This will most likely leave Zaitsev’s replacement as one, cheaper than the rest and therefore, it should be a last resort.
Utilize the Farm
The final option is to call up one of the Marlies. Now, the only players I can think of who should get a chance in the top six next season are Justin Holl and Timothy Liljegren.
Holl has already been slotted in as the Leafs seventh defenceman last season, so it’s possible they bump him right up. But Liljegren is pretty much NHL-ready and he may be the perfect replacement, who might even end up surpassing Zaitsev’s skill.
As much as I think this may be the smartest option for the Leafs, it’s a risk that I can’t see the Leafs making yet. Don’t be surprised if Dubas follows one of the other two avenues first.
Regardless, we can’t jump the gun here with the idea of shedding Zaitsev’s salary. We have to remember that someone has to fill his spot in an already unstable and weak Leafs defensive core. Hopefully Dubas explores all options to ensure the team makes the right deals going forward.