It appears that Russian defenseman Nikita Zaitsev no longer wants to be a part of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Some have pointed to the New York Islanders as potential suitors in a trade because of the Lou Lamoriello connection.
Zaitsev has talent but is he a fit? The 27-year-old is coming off a 14 point season where he missed just one game. He averaged over 20 minutes a game but he wasn’t nearly as good as he was two years ago.
His best year was his first year, a 36 point season in 2016-2017.