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Toronto Maple Leafs Rumour: Oilers Want Nikita Zaitsev

By James Tanner

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 21: Nikita Zaitsev #22 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates with the puck against the Boston Bruins in Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on April 21, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs 4-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 21: Nikita Zaitsev #22 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates with the puck against the Boston Bruins in Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on April 21, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs 4-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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Now that the Stanley Cup has been awarded, the Toronto Maple Leafs are free to pursue the moves that have been rumoured for weeks.

One of those rumours – that Nikita Zaitsev has asked the Toronto Maple Leafs for a trade – got a little bit juicier yesterday.

Darren Dreger reaffirmed that the Canucks are interested, and he he also put the Oilers out there.

Could a bidding war develop for a bad player with a ridiculous contract?  Unlikely, but just the fact that there is interest is pretty good news for the Leafs.

Zaitsev to the Oilers

Here’s the Dreger Tweet:

But this one was even more interesting:

Now, if this is true, Kyle Dubas is a monster.  Hahaha.  I mean, who can blame him for shooting high –  if you don’t, you’re gonna have to pay someone to take him – but it’s hilarious to imagine someone, with a straight face, asking this much for Nikita Zaitsev.

Then again, most bottom pairing defenseman are terrible, most draft picks don’t work out and neither do most prospects.

On paper it seems like more than it probably is.  Plus, if you don’t sound confident in the return you want, how do you expect to make a good move?

Still, it’s pretty obvious posturing.

Zaitsev has five years left on a $4.5 million dollar deal.  Guaranteed someone might sign him for something similar if he was a UFA, so I don’t think he’s unmovable, but I just don’t think the Toronto Maple Leafs should expect anything beyond getting out of the deal.

Perhaps if they took on the last two years of the slightly more expensive Andrej Sekera, the Leafs could take a prospect and a pick.

Sekera is 33, left handed, expensive and injury prone.  He has missed most of the last two seasons.  But when he played last year, he was halfway decent considering his zone starts were predominantly defensive, his team was garbage and he was coming off an injury.

The thing about Sekera though, is you could probably force him on the LTIR, or you could hope he retires, or you could consider 2 years to get out of better than 5, and just try to move him too.

If the Leafs want to turn Zaitsev into an asset, I don’t see how they could do that without taking on something like this.

Next. Update on Jake Gardiner's Status. dark

Perhaps the Toronto Maple Leafs do something even crazier – like take Milan Lucic in exchange for Zaitsev and an actual good prospect.

Who knows? It’s all about options and ideas at this point.  I don’t think Zaitsev is worth much, and if the Leafs can get out of his deal without retaining money or taking on someone terrible, I will be surprised.

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