Thread Starter
jordan124
Joined: Jul. 2018
Posts: 92
Likes: 8
I think a lot of guys are missing the point here. It's not about Zaitsev's deal being horrible. It's not. Someone's gotta go, and in this scenario I chose Johnsson and Kapanen to stay over Zaitsev. I disregarded positions because I believe that the position inequality can be addressed in the following offseason. I'd much rather lose Zaitsev, who I don't consider to be a top-4 defensemen on a cup-caliber team which the leafs eventually aspire to be, than any leaf top 9 forward not named Marleau (who is an FA in the following offseason), who I believe can be top 6 contributors on a cup winning team. So why deal Zaitsev? It's not cuz he gets no points. I think PTS for defensemen is an overrated stat. There are two main reasons why I think he is not a great defensemen and I'd want to deal him before the superior forwards. First, he has a total inability to handle the puck and make controlled zone exits, which is really important as a defensemen (and no, Gardiner cannot do this alone). The second reason is I feel like he wears the goat horns on a lot of goals, and his defensive positioning on many goals is very questionable. Will he be missed as a shot blocker? Yes. But someone's gotta go, and I'd rather it be him then Nylander, Kapanen, Johnsson, etc