The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to trade Nikita Zaitsev.
Sometimes there are rumours that make so much sense, it’s hard to see them not come to fruition. The Edmonton Oilers are rumoured to be interested in Zaitsev and the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to move him.
Perfect.
While it would be easy to take a bag of pucks for the Russian defenseman, GM Kyle Dubas is of course looking at all the options he can.
In Edmonton there is a new GM that needs to make changes to the team. There’s also a recent high draft pick on his roster that wants to leave.
Jessie puljujarvi Is the perfect target for Kyle Dubas
The big Finnish winger has certainly had a rough go of things in Edmonton. He had an incredible draft year and after being drafted 4th overall in 2016, hasn’t shown the excellent offence he displayed against his peers at the World Junior Championship or the respectable numbers he put up in Liiga.
At the current moment, he looks like a bust.
Trading Zaitsev for him is a gamble worth taking every time. This all depends on how much Holland values Zaitsev, but when you’re getting a right shot defenseman for a player that looks like a bust and doesn’t want to stay, maybe this makes sense for Edmonton. It certainly does for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Especially with other rumours about Toronto’s interest in Matt Benning and Edmonton’s interest in Connor Brown.
Like the Toronto Maples Leafs, the Edmonton Oilers are looking to move salary (at least Lucic’s). That could make potential trades tough. Between now and July 1st (when Zaitsev’s signing bonus is paid and before his limited no trade clause kicks in) is the best time to make a deal happen for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Perhaps involving the Vancouver Canucks (who also have interest in Zaitsev) can help make this work if necessary.
Dare to dream…
A Zaitsev for Puljujarvi and Brown for Benning swap (as a basis) helps the Leafs a lot when it comes to the salary cap. It gives the Oilers an opportunity to get a couple players they’re interested in and see if they’re a fit.
The real prize for the Toronto Maple Leafs is the cap relief, but if it’s possible to convince Holland to throw in a project like Puljujarvi as well then I’ve got Holland on speed dial. If Puljujarvi becomes a decent NHLer, great. If not, they have more cap space for Mitch Marner anyway.
CALL. KEN. NOW.