Nikita Zaitsev

Nikita Igorevich Zaitsev (; 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 KHL 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). Despite this, Zaitsev returned to Russia to honour the final year of his contract with CSKA.

NHL Toronto Maple Leafs On 2 May 2016, Zaitsev signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs. 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. He scored his first NHL goal on 17 December 2016 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. 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. In the playoffs, Zaitsev missed the first two games and upon his return, was tasked with shutting down Alexander Ovechkin's line in the Maple Leafs' series with the Washington Capitals. The Capitals went on to beat the Maple Leafs in six games.

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. This was based on his play from the previous season where he was one of the minutes played leaders among Maple Leafs' defencemen. After missing 17 games, he returned to the lineup on 30 January 2018 for a game against the New York Islanders. 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. 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. That offseason Zaitsev reportedly requested a trade out of Toronto.

Ottawa Senators 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. 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. Zaitsev struggled through the following pandemic-shortened 2021–22 season, being paired with multiple partners in an effort to find some chemistry. He was among the players that missed time after being placed on the COVID protocol list in November. In December Zaitsev was injured in a game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, forcing him to miss four weeks.

Senators general manager Pierre Dorion attempted to trade Zaitsev during the 2022 offseason but could find no partners. Zaitsev cleared waivers on 10 November and was demoted to the Senators' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Belleville Senators, on 18 November. He played in three games in the AHL before being recalled on 1 December. He made his Chicago debut on 4 March in a 3–1 loss to the Nashville Predators. He scored his first goal with the Blackhawks on 23 March, preventing a shutout in a 6–1 loss to the Washington Capitals. In his second season with Chicago, Zaitsev injured his right knee in a game versus the San Jose Sharks on 16 January 2024. He returned to the lineup on 9 March.

Return to KHL

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

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2009 Russia WJC18 7 1 4 5 14 2010 Russia WJC 6th 6 0 0 0 4 2011 Russia WJC 6 0 0 0 0 2013 Russia WC 6th 3 1 0 1 0 2016 Russia WC 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 10 2 2 4 0 Junior totals 19 1 4 5 18 Senior totals 35 4 15 19 4

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