Nikita Zaitsev. Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Former Blackhawks defenseman expected to sign in KHL

Originally posted on Pro Hockey Rumors | By Brian La Rose | Last updated 5/20/24

It has been a fairly steep fall from grace for defenseman Nikita Zaitsev. A few years ago, he was logging over 20 minutes a night but he has since been included as salary cap ballast in a trade twice and had a very limited role this season with the Blackhawks. Instead of seeing what might await him in free agency, it appears he has decided to head home as Sport-Express’ Arthur Khayrullin reports that Zaitsev is expected to sign a multi-year deal (a minimum of three years) with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.

The 32-year-old came to North America back in 2016 and made an immediate impact with Toronto, recording 36 points, 136 blocks, and 176 hits in 72 games while averaging more than 22 minutes per game, an impressive first year. That earned him a seven-year, $31.5M extension one year later and the Maple Leafs thought they had a core piece locked up for the long haul.

Unfortunately for them, it didn’t work out that way. Zaitsev didn’t reach the 20-point mark let alone getting back to 36 over those seven seasons. While he still logged some big minutes after being traded to Ottawa, his role eventually dwindled and eventually, the team parted with a pair of draft picks (a 2023 second-rounder and a 2026 fourth-rounder) to get Chicago to take the remaining year and a bit off their hands.

This season, Zaitsev found himself a healthy scratch on quite a few occasions while also missing time due to illness, an upper-body injury, and a knee issue that kept him out for 19 games. As a result, he made a career-low 38 appearances, notching just seven points, 70 hits, and 69 blocks in a little under 16 minutes per contest, all career-lows as well.

With Chicago having several young defensemen on the cusp of pushing for full-time NHL duty, they weren’t going to bring Zaitsev back. While it’s possible he could have had some interest in a depth role on an NHL roster, it looks like he’ll opt for the security of a multi-year agreement back home. Assuming a contract gets finalized, Zaitsev will depart the NHL with 118 points in 482 career appearances, a pretty good career overall for an undrafted player.

This article first appeared on Pro Hockey Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

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