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Nikita Zaitsev

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Nikita Zaitsev
Zaitsev with Russia in 2014
Born (1991-10-29) 29 October 1991 (age 33)
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
KHL team
Former teams		 SKA Saint Petersburg
Sibir Novosibirsk
CSKA Moscow
Toronto Maple Leafs
Ottawa Senators
Chicago Blackhawks
National team  Russia
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2009–present

Nikita Igorevich Zaitsev (Russian: Никита Игоревич Зайцев; born 29 October 1991) is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Playing career

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KHL

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Zaitsev was selected by Sibir Novosibirsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in the first round, fourth overall, of the 2009 KHL Junior Draft, making his debut for the club a few months later. After four years with the Sibir organization, Zaitsev joined his hometown CSKA Moscow, after which he began to attract international attention. He was twice a KHL All-Star (2015, 2016) and named once to the KHL First All-Star team (2014–15).[1]

Zaitsev (behind the net) defending the puck from Nicklas Bäckström (left) in a playoff game against the Washington Capitals in 2017.

In the summer of 2015, the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Toronto Maple Leafs began to garner publicized interest in Zaitsev; Zaitsev had even toured the city and arena, while also meeting with team staff, coming away "very impressed".[2] Despite this, Zaitsev returned to Russia to honour the final year of his contract with CSKA.[2] During the subsequent season's playoffs, he led all defencemen in scoring with 13 points (tied with Sami Lepistö and Chris Lee), while helping the top-seeded CSKA to the Gagarin Cup finals, where the team lost in the deciding Game 7 to Metallurg Magnitogorsk.[3]

NHL

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Toronto Maple Leafs

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On 2 May 2016, Zaitsev signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs.[1] He made his pre-season debut with the club on 2 October, scoring a goal in a 3–2 win over the rival Montreal Canadiens. On 12 October 2016, Zaitsev made his official NHL debut in a 5–4 loss to the Ottawa Senators in the 2016–17 season opener, and was singled out for his good play by coach Mike Babcock.[4] He scored his first NHL goal on 17 December 2016 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.[5] By the end of the season, Zaitsev had accumulated 36 points, second most on the team and had earned a top-four spot among Toronto's defencemen, playing on the penalty kill and power play units.[6] In the playoffs, Zaitsev missed the first two games[7] and upon his return, was tasked with shutting down Alexander Ovechkin's line in the Maple Leafs' series with the Washington Capitals.[8] The Capitals went on to beat the Maple Leafs in six games.[9]

On 2 May 2017, Zaitsev signed a new seven-year, $31.5 million contract with Toronto carrying an average annual value of $4.5 million.[10] This was based on his play from the previous season where he was one of the minutes played leaders among Maple Leafs' defencemen.[8] During the 2017–18 season, Zaitsev was placed on injured reserve (IR) with a lower body injury on 17 December 2017. He had 7 points in 18 games with Toronto before being placed on IR.[11] After missing 17 games, he returned to the lineup on 30 January 2018 for a game against the New York Islanders.[12] Though used heavily by the Maple Leafs his play was not as good as in his first season and he only amassed 13 points in 60 games.[13] He finished the 2018–19 season with 14 points in 81 games and faced criticism for his play during the playoffs in which he led the Maple Leafs in turnovers with 11.[14][15] That offseason Zaitsev reportedly requested a trade out of Toronto.[16]

Ottawa Senators

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On 1 July 2019, Zaitsev was traded (along with Connor Brown and Michael Carcone) to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Cody Ceci, Ben Harpur, Aaron Luchuk and a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.[17] In his first season with the Senators, Zaitsev was paired with Thomas Chabot on the team's top defence pairing and was named one of the team's alternate captains. The Senators head coach, D. J. Smith, played Zaitsev as a defensive defenceman, playing against the opposing team's top players.[18] Zaitsev struggled through the following pandemic-shortened 2021–22 season, being paired with multiple partners in an effort to find some chemistry.[19] He was among the players that missed time after being placed on the COVID protocol list in November.[20] In December Zaitsev was injured in a game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, forcing him to miss four weeks.[21]

Senators general manager Pierre Dorion attempted to trade Zaitsev during the 2022 offseason but could find no partners.[19] His play to begin the 2022–23 season was "tumultuous" and he was placed on waivers on 9 November 2022.[22] Zaitsev cleared waivers on 10 November and was demoted to the Senators' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Belleville Senators, on 18 November.[23] He played in three games in the AHL before being recalled on 1 December.[22]

Chicago Blackhawks

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On 22 February 2023, Zaitsev was traded with a second-round pick in 2023 (Roman Kantserov) and a fourth-round pick in 2026 to the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations.[24] He made his Chicago debut on 4 March in a 3–1 loss to the Nashville Predators.[25] He scored his first goal with the Blackhawks on 23 March, preventing a shutout in a 6–1 loss to the Washington Capitals.[26] In his second season with Chicago, Zaitsev injured his right knee in a game versus the San Jose Sharks on 16 January 2024.[27] He returned to the lineup on 9 March.[28]

Return to KHL

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On 4 July 2024, as an unrestricted free agent, Zaitsev returned to the KHL, signing a four-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg.[29]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2008–09 MHC Krylya Sovetov RUS.2 8 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 2
2008–09 MHC Krylya Sovetov–2 RUS.4 23 6 12 18 24 — — — — —
2009–10 Sibir Novosibirsk KHL 40 0 1 1 6 — — — — —
2009–10 Siberian Snipers MHL 4 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
2010–11 Sibir Novosibirsk KHL 39 0 2 2 12 4 0 0 0 2
2010–11 Siberian Snipers MHL 4 1 2 3 0 — — — — —
2010–11 Zauralie Kurgan VHL — — — — — 4 0 2 2 4
2011–12 Sibir Novosibirsk KHL 53 1 3 4 28 — — — — —
2011–12 Siberian Snipers MHL 4 4 0 4 0 — — — — —
2012–13 Sibir Novosibirsk KHL 49 7 11 18 41 7 1 0 1 8
2013–14 CSKA Moscow KHL 33 4 8 12 18 4 1 1 2 27
2014–15 CSKA Moscow KHL 57 12 20 32 31 16 1 7 8 2
2015–16 CSKA Moscow KHL 46 8 18 26 20 20 4 9 13 10
2016–17 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 82 4 32 36 38 4 0 0 0 0
2017–18 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 60 5 8 13 31 7 0 2 2 2
2018–19 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 81 3 11 14 18 7 0 0 0 2
2019–20 Ottawa Senators NHL 58 1 11 12 22 — — — — —
2020–21 Ottawa Senators NHL 55 4 13 17 26 — — — — —
2021–22 Ottawa Senators NHL 62 2 9 11 28 — — — — —
2022–23 Ottawa Senators NHL 28 0 5 5 8 — — — — —
2022–23 Belleville Senators AHL 3 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2022–23 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 18 1 2 3 12 — — — — —
2023–24 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 38 2 5 7 14 — — — — —
KHL totals 317 32 63 95 156 51 7 17 24 49
NHL totals 482 22 96 118 197 18 0 2 2 4

International

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Zaitsev at the 2010 World Junior Championships
Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Russia
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Russia
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Slovakia
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 United States
World U18 Championships
Silver medal – second place 2009 United States
Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2009 Russia WJC18 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 7 1 4 5 14
2010 Russia WJC 6th 6 0 0 0 4
2011 Russia WJC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 0 0 0 0
2013 Russia WC 6th 3 1 0 1 0
2016 Russia WC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 10 1 3 4 2
2016 Russia WCH 4th 4 0 2 2 2
2018 Russia WC 6th 8 0 8 8 0
2019 Russia WC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 10 2 2 4 0
Junior totals 19 1 4 5 18
Senior totals 35 4 15 19 4

Awards and honours

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Award or Honour Year Ref
KHL
All-Star Game 2015, 2016 [1]
First All Star Team 2015 [1]
Most playoff points by a defenceman (13) 2016 [1]
International
WC All-Star Team 2016

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Maple Leafs Sign Defenceman Nikita Zaitsev". National Hockey League. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Leafs summer recruit Nikita Zaitsev thriving in final year of KHL deal". Pension Plan Puppets. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Alex Semin, Metallurg win KHL championship in thrilling Game 7". Roger's Sportsnet. 19 April 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  4. ^ Feschuk, Dave (12 October 2016). "Leafs' Matthews offers a tour de four in debut: Feschuk". Toronto Star. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  5. ^ Siegel, Jonas (17 December 2016). "Gardiner bags overtime winner in Leafs' 2-1 over Pittsburgh". CTV News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  6. ^ Siegel, Jonas (2 May 2017). "Leafs sign Nikita Zaitsev to seven-year deal at $4.5-million per season". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  7. ^ Siegel, Jonas (16 April 2017). "Nikita Zaitsev to return from injury for Leafs in Game 3 versus Capitals". Ottawa Citizen. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  8. ^ a b Kennedy, Ryan (19 July 2017). "Maple Leafs' Zaitsev Looking to Build on Successful First NHL Season". The Hockey News. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Washington Capitals-Toronto Maple Leafs series recap: Scores, highlights and more". The Washington Post. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Maple Leafs sign Nikita Zaitsev to long-term extension; Ben Smith inked". Sportsnet. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  11. ^ "Maple Leafs recall Martin Marincin, place Nikita Zaitsev on IR". Sportsnet. The Canadian Press. 17 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Holl, Dermott pick up first career NHL goals as Leafs beat Islanders". TSN. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018. Defenceman Nikita Zaitsev was also back in Toronto's lineup after missing 17 games with a foot injury.
  13. ^ Auguello, Michael (2 May 2018). "Maple Leafs 2017-18 report card: So many highs, before painful playoff end". The Sporting News. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  14. ^ Johnston, Mike (30 May 2019). "Maple Leafs defenceman Nikita Zaitsev available to be moved". Sportsnet. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  15. ^ Cantlon, Kyle (3 June 2019). "Disgruntled Leafs blueliner Nikita Zaitsev calls Don Cherry a 'clown'". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  16. ^ Hornby, Lance (31 May 2019). "Requested Zaitsev trade could help Dubas, Leafs and the defenceman". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  17. ^ "Senators acquire Zaitsev, Brown from Toronto in six-player deal". Ottawa Senators. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019 – via NHL.com.
  18. ^ McGran, Kevin (14 October 2021). "Former Leafs Connor Brown and Nikita Zaitsev are thriving with the Senators". Toronto Star. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  19. ^ a b Warren, Ken (28 September 2022). "Warrenspiece: What's in Zaitsev's future, Greig sleeps easy and Stutzle mum on Giroux's faceoff magic". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  20. ^ "Senators place Zaitsev in COVID protocol; Thomson to make NHL debut". Sportsnet. The Canadian Press. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  21. ^ Kimmelman, Adam (18 December 2021). "Zaitsev out four weeks for Senators with heel injury". National Hockey League. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  22. ^ a b "Senators recall defenceman Nikita Zaitsev from AHL". Sportsnet. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  23. ^ "Senators' Nikita Zaitsev: AHL bound". CBS Sports. 18 November 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  24. ^ "Zaitsev traded to Blackhawks by Senators". National Hockey League. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  25. ^ "Barrie, Saros lead Predators past Blackhawks 3-1". ESPN. Associated Press. 4 March 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  26. ^ Thompson, Phil (24 March 2023). "3 takeaways from the Chicago Blackhawks' 3rd straight loss, including a rough goalie debut for Anton Khudobin". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  27. ^ Carlson, Matt (17 January 2024). "More Injuries For Depleted Blackhawks: D-Man Nikita Zaitsev to IR". The Hockey News. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  28. ^ Pope, Ben (9 March 2024). "Blackhawks' Nikita Zaitsev returns, but Andreas Athanasiou not quite ready". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  29. ^ O'Brien, Derek (4 July 2024). "Nikita Zaitsev signs 4-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg". The Hockey News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
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