Nikita Zaitsev has been in the media recently for all of the wrong reasons, and it appears that the Ottawa Senators have had enough of the negative attention surrounding him, and one team may be able to take on his contract. Today’s NHL rumours discusses one team looking at making a Nikita Zaitsev trade.
NHL Rumours
West Coast Team Looking Nikita Zaitsev Trade
NHL Rumour: The Ottawa Senators are looking to trade forward Nikita Zaitsev to the Vancouver Canucks for forward Tyler Myers.
Although the team has been in recent news for potentially having a new owner in Actor Ryan Reynolds, they have also been in the news for another troubling case.
When Zaitsev was caught bullying a fan on Instagram, it sent shockwaves and conversations throughout the NHL. There was concerm about whether or not the Senators should punish him for his actions.
Now, it seems like the Senators want to move on from him, and the Canucks look to be a strong contender. In return for Zaitsev, the Canucks will apparently send over defender Tyler Myers.
What This Means
For Vancouver, it would be a bit of a different move. As Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts, it would give them some much-needed salary cap room. Myers has two years left on a $6 million cap hit. Meanwhile, Zaitsev has a $4.5 million cap hit, with his deal ending next year as well. Zaitsev won’t play in the NHL, and will most likely be part of the AHL squad in Abbotsford.
For Ottawa, Myers provides them with some much-needed help on defence. This season, Myers has four assists and 35 penalty minutes.
It is a peculiar move trading an overall solid veteran defenceman away for someone for a player that hasn’t been effective for Ottawa at all. The bullying scandal is also at the forefront of an otherwise problematic year for him.
SNAPSHOTS: Senators defenceman Nikita Zaitsev has a chance to get his game back on track in Belleville https://t.co/0S0uzOZ7H5 pic.twitter.com/OrAcShETqZ
— Ottawa Sun (@ottawasuncom) November 19, 2022
