Since the league was made aware this morning of Zaitsev’s availability, there have been multiple inquiries but it remains to be seen how many teams expect TOR to retain salary or make a soft/limited return deal because of the term/$ owed him.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 30, 2019
This doesn’t really change the overall dynamic — which is a challenging one — of the Leafs’ pursuit of a potential suitor for Zaitsev’s $4.5 million cap hit/year for the next five seasons, but it’s an interesting development nonetheless.
It comes on the heels of Zaitsev’s comments about the Toronto market’s harsh treatment of its defensemen just a few days ago.