The Toronto Maple Leafs and defenseman Nikita Zaitsev put pen to paper Tuesday, inking a seven-year contract extension worth $31.5 million after the initial report of a proposed deal broke in March.
There's plenty of intriguing components to the deal, so without wasting any time, let's get into them.
The past
Zaitsev, 25, just concluded his first NHL campaign after joining the Maple Leafs last offseason. He suited up in all 82 games as a rookie, and logged the second-most ice time (22:01 per game) among all Toronto defenders.
Additionally, he chipped in with 36 points (four goals, 32 assists) and quarterbacked the Leafs' top power-play unit.
Despite solid offensive numbers, Zaitsev struggled possession-wise. Deployed primarily with Morgan Rielly until a switch to Jake Gardiner's pairing late in the season, Zaitsev - though not alone on Toronto's roster - was not on the right end of the shot count.
| Pairing | TOI (minutes) | CF% | Scoring Chances For-Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zaitsev-Rielly | 803 | 49.45% | 141-141 |
| Zaitsev-Gardiner | 354 | 47.23% | 41-37 |
(All stats at five-on-five, courtesy of Corsica-Hockey)
Zaitsev was assigned mostly unfavorable matchups as a freshman against opponents' top lines on Toronto's No. 1 pairing, so with more time to adjust to the league, the Leafs are hoping for positive development in that area.
The present and immediate future
While seven years is undoubtedly a lot of term, at this point, Zaitsev is Toronto's best right-handed shot.
Roman Polak is an unrestricted free agent July 1, and at 31, is coming off a gruesome leg injury suffered in the playoffs. Elsewhere, Toronto's depth chart isn't particularly flattering.
When it comes to salary, Zaitsev's AAV of $4.5 million ranks second among Leafs blue-liners, ahead of Gardiner ($4.05 million through 2019) and below Rielly ($5 million through 2022).
That said, upgrading the Maple Leafs' blue line will be a priority this offseason for general manager Lou Lamiorello.
Lamoriello says the Leafs will focus on getting better on defence this summer. "We have to add to that group."
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) May 2, 2017
In Zaitsev, Toronto has a viable option to slot in the top four, and rather than go to arbitration, the club opted to lock him up, which is completely sensible.
The long-term future
Zatisev's contract will take him to age 32, which is typically an age of steady decline among NHL defenders. In that sense, his new contract can go one of two ways.
- 1) Zaitsev develops in his remaining peak years, provides stability to the Leafs' D-corps for years to come at a reasonable price.
- 2) Zaitsev's mediocre possession numbers don't improve, and the Leafs are stuck with a burdening contract as he ages until 2024.
Of course, this is an oversimplified breakdown. It's impossible to predict what the Maple Leafs' top six will look like next season, but if they add quality pieces, and perhaps include Zaitsev in a more favorable role, he could certainly help Toronto on its quest to contend in the East.
In all, Leafs' management took a calculated gamble on what Zaitsev brings to the table, and put its faith in a 25-year-old rookie. Now we wait.
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