The Toronto Maple Leafs have been trying to find a way to unload the contract of defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, who still has five years remaining at $4.5MM. It looks like the Maple Leafs have found a trade partner as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Toronto is working with the Ottawa Senators on a trade, while Sportnet’s Chris Johnston adds that it likely will involve a swap of defensemen as Cody Ceci could find himself heading back to Toronto.
The deal may take a couple of days as it’s likely Ottawa is waiting until July 1 so that Toronto is forced to pay Zaitsev his $3MM signing bonus before pulling the trigger on the trade. Ceci will be a restricted free agent and could become an unrestricted free agent in one year. Ceci and the Senators have been trying to work out a long-term deal, but haven’t been able to come to terms, and in fact haven’t even been close, with recent rumors suggesting that Ottawa has been considering shopping him now instead.
A trade with Ottawa could be interesting as TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Zaitsev has Ottawa on his 10-team modified no-trade list. However, the 27-year-old does have a relationship with new Senators head coach D.J. Smith, who has been an assistant coach in Toronto. That could be enough for Zaitsev to waive his no-trade clause and head to Ottawa. He has already requested a trade in the first place in hopes of getting a new opportunity somewhere else after struggling the past two years after an impressive rookie campaign. In Ottawa, he would likely take a significant role, especially if Ceci is headed the other way. The Senators do have Thomas Chabot as a top-four option and they have veteran Mark Borowiecki, but little else that is established yet, which should give Zaitsev the opportunity he is looking for.
Ceci, could be the defenseman they are looking for. The team has been looking to upgrade its defense without having to pay out any substantial money since they are up against the cap with a number of key free-agents to sign. Ceci should give Toronto that top-four defensive presence the team is looking for at a similar cost to that of Zaitsev, although it would give the team another restricted free agent that it would have to deal with this summer. Ceci finished last year with seven goals and 26 points. The team must decide whether it would want to sign Ceci to a long-term deal or allow him to go to arbitration with the possibility of losing him next season, although the team would have accomplished their goal of shedding the contract of Zaitsev, which may be the priority for Toronto at this point.
There is also the possibility that Toronto is taking on the contract with the idea of letting Ceci go to arbitration and then possibly walking away from Ceci without signing the contract, making him a free agent to free up the cap room. The team could also attempt to flip Ceci to another team as well.
Biggest lol swap of the offseason
This is great, they took phaneufs’crazy contact as well although this one isn’t as bad.
yeah just seen it on rotoworld , and want be official til after 1st as Senators are waiting til Zaitsev bonus is paid by the Maple Leafs so Sens are waiting until Leafs cover that, and story says it would make sense for both sides cause Ottawa is trying to save money than the cap ceiling and Toronto is more focused on Cap Savings, I think it will help as Ceci is more of offensive and better puck mover as I have seen. and Zaitsev makes $4,500,000 to Cody Ceci at $4,300,000, so will see Monday when bonus is paid and trade is made.
Gerald Ceci is an RFA and doesn’t have a contract right now.
Please don’t tell me the Sens would do this without a pick as well.
Thank you Jesus
Brannstrom should be in the top 4 as well
thanks JDGoat as I had his salary written down to look at other trades of players and it still has him on capfriendly as on team not as free agent list on the Ottawa page. Thanks for the correction.
Leafs could do worse than Ceci. He’s kind of what they need.
There you go again talking smack JD it’s not even finalized yet and your commenting on it. Really all that matters is getting Marner inked to a deal !
Smack
Another brilliant comment JD someone needs to Smack you upside the head to knock some common sense into you!
The Toronto Maple Leafs have no question taken several steps backward to the point where I feel they are/will be behind the Panthers, Canadiens and even the Sabres going into this season…meaning they will NOT be even in playoff contention.
While Dubas/Shanahan wait for one single player to resign/extend, even if he there do keep (Marner) in the fold, they are not a good team. They are set to lose Jake Gardiner (who I can care less about anyway and he should go elsewhere), Nikita Zaitsev (bad deal given by LouLam and clueless defensively anyway) and also Ron Hainsey as it looks, and haven’t done a single goddamn thing to replace either of those three. It sounded like they were involved with PK Subban and Nashville but Dubas didn’t press hard enough to try and get a deal done (either sending Nylander, Kadri or perhaps Brown or Johnsson) as part of the deal heading the other way and not taking on Subban’s salary (9 million cap hit). Subban wouldve been an excellent addition on an already weak and pathetic blue line.
The Leafs must shed some cap space by trading Nylander, Kadri, Brown and one of Johnsson or Kapanen. The deals for both Johnsson and Kapanen are excellent, but also for the possibility of trading one of them. One of them MUST be dealt for defense help. There is no reason to keep both and I would rather have Kapanen than Johnsson (both for flashes of offensive brilliance and as one of Toronto’s best penalty killers).
Connor Brown is nothing more than a bottom 6 forward at this point and I would rather see the team resign Tyler Ennis in his spot. Ennis brings some veteran leadership as well. Now that the Leafs have traded/gotten rid of their only true veteran leader away in Marleau, someone needs to fill some of that role alongside John Tavares, and someone not expected to put up 80 plus points on top of that.
Name Kadri has worn out his welcome. He needs to go. Finding someone to take him for really anything helps get rid of part of the problem of failure as well as elevate some cap space. I did hear from a source in Philadelphia that the Flyers may still have interest in Kadri as center depth and Toronto could possibly be able to land a guy like Shane Gostisbhere or maybe Robert Hagg in a return offer. If I am Dubas/Shanahan, I do all I could to make something like that happen. Despite cap space being a huge factor this offseason for the Leafs, fixing/replacing/upgrading your defense is imperative for this current group to take the next step (in its fourth try!). I am in no way willing to hand any of the top 4 positions available (next to only Morgan Rielly – who finally put it all together this season, and Jake Muzzin – who is seriously on the decline as it is) to any of the Marlies kids. The play of Timothy Lijlegren, Rasmus Sandin and Calle Rosen were a major reason as to why the Marlies were taken out fairly easily by the Charlotte Checkers in the Eastern Finals of the AHL playoffs. Those kids are not ready to step into a top 4 defensive role, and I would even hesitate to simply hand them a 5-7 role, although that is going to be a necessity as long as Mike Babcock’s tenure as Leafs bench boss doesn’t put any emphasis on the defensive side of hockey!
Furthermore, if Babcock/Dubas/Shanahan are content with Michael Hutchinson as the team’s primary backup to Freddy Andersen, the Leafs are really in deep shit and really nothing else matters one damn bit! (Marner contract, upgrading defense, dumping salary, etc.). It is obvious that Babcock doesn’t like or have any faith in Garrett Sparks, although Sparks is still a Toronto Maple Leaf. Sparks should be involved with a deal involving any of the aforementioned key trading pieces in order to help land defense and/or a suitable backup goalie. Reading up on a lot of news forecasting tomorrow’s first day of free agency, I see names like Semyon Varlamov, Mike Smith, Cam Talbot amongst several others landing in places like Edmonton, Calgary, perhaps Long Island…etc. Either one of those guys would be great fits to the Maple Leafs. Resting Freddy Andersen is another HUGE component of gearing up for a deep playoff run (even if this team can get by the first round for the first time which sounds as difficult as NASA making a successful trip to Mars, actually worse!).
The bottom line is that Dubas and company must be able to work out deals and trades and get creative with the cap. Sending out Marleau to help alleviate that won’t be enough and not nearly creative enough. The team has huge glaring needs just to stay in the playoff picture at this point. Right now I am extremely concerned…As of now, the Leafs are a last place team in the Atlantic.
*Alleviate not elevate…damn spell check — couldn’t go back and fix!
*Nazem not name!
Brad,
WTF is that novel too much writing how much free time do you have !
Sens are a gong show! Dorian is a yes man!
Summer time and I am a teacher/coach. Lol
Very concerned nonetheless here. I actually think the Leafs are well behind Tampa and Boston (of course) but weaker than Florida, Montreal and even buffalo as of right now. Not good.
I know the leafs wouldn’t be a player in free agency and should’nt be. But it’s tough to see several defensive pieces like Subban, Myers to begin with go elsewhere who would’ve been great fits on a leafs team trying to win.
Trading Zaitsev shouldn’t have been such a high priority. He asked for a trade. His selfish needs shouldn’t have been major as of now. Unless this dead was mostly for freeing up cap space.
Marner is still unsigned. While another top RFA Aho has just been sent an offer sheet from Montreal. I’m almost hoping someone does that with Marner so the club can get this taken care of. I hear people saying they should trade Marner. That makes no sense. He’s a leaf and should remain so for a long time (5 plus years at least).
Guys who should be moved and soon are Nylander (heard he is off the trade block for now and that’s a HUGE mistake by Dubas/Shanahan if that’s true!), Kadri (hoping for a deal with Philadelphia for perhaps Gostisbehere or Hagg?), Brown (TRADED to Ottawa for D Ben Harpur basically wonder if that works out but looks like Ottawa a last place team got the better end of that deal), and Johnsson (hopefully in return for a legit top 4 defender which the leafs are in desperate need for!).
I’m not happy to see the leafs lose both Hainsey and Ennis. Both to Ottawa! A last place garbage dump organization. Losing those two as well as Marleau means that the current maple leafs roster have no veteran leadership whatsoever unless you put all that on Tavares who also needs to put up 80 plus points a season.
It even looks like Ottawa is a better club too at this point. This is really not good!
Plus the leafs have no solid option to back up Freddy in goal. Not sure why sparks is still on the roster if the genius Babcock won’t play him. Sparks also must be packaged in a deal to bring in some reasonable defense help.
Brad ,
Dude you go on and on and on man. Let me guess english teacher who loves long essays? Id never let my kid play on your team. It would take you most of the practice to explain a drill. Let alone your opinion on 6 teams no cares head to dentention!