Toronto Maple Leafs’ defenseman Nikita Zaitsev wants a change of scenery ahead of 2019/20 NHL season. The team’s general manager Kyle Dubas confirmed on Thursday that Zaitsev asked for a trade and that the organization will try to accommodate his request.
“That will be our goal, to try to find a fresh start for him, for his own personal and private reasons,” – said Dubas according to NHL.com.
When pressed to reveal the reasons for Zaitsev’s trade request, Dubas pointed to the player and his agent Dan Milstein.
“I don’t want to speculate on their behalf,” – he added. “I think that’s for Dan and Nikita to address if they want to.”
Nikita Zaitsev joined Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016 as an undrafted free agent. After an impressive rookie season, the team gave Zaitsev a seven-year, $31.5 million contract extension, hoping to make him one of the franchise’s cornerstones.
Still, things haven’t turned the way Toronto anticipated as Zaitsev struggled after signing an extension and contributed only 27 points in the past two years.
Despite this, it seems like Maple Leafs’ are not in a hurry to part way with him and wouldn’t mind keeping the Russian on their roster.
“Especially as the year went on, especially as he was paired with Muzzin, his value began to shine through a little bit more,” – Dubas explained. “His penalty killing, his right shot, he plays in our top four, and he’s signed reasonably for a long time.”
