It seems like a long time ago and a distant memory, but Nikita Zaitsev was once a Toronto Maple Leaf. The defenseman waived his no trade clause to accept a trade to Ottawa this summer after lots of speculation that he had a demanded a trade out of Toronto. During the summer some comments from Zaitsev surfaced where he took shots at the Toronto media and even Don Cherry. "Everyone (in the market) said that the defence of Toronto was shit." he later added "Everybody wanted Muzzin. But he began to be smeared the next day. You just need to understand that this is Toronto. You will be defrauded because you are a defender."
"I'm amused that clowns like Cherry have a very big emphasis in our country as real experts" Zaitsev added "(What he says) will immediately be on the websites, as if this is a serious person of some kind."
After Zaitsev was traded, he met with the media briefly but wouldn't really elaborate on his trade request and said he had a good time in Toronto. We might never get an elaboration on those comments because Zaitsev didn't suit up last night and won't play tonight either as the Leafs and Sens play back to back games. The former Leafs' defenseman also refused to make himself available to the media over the last couple of days and Sens coach DJ Smith confirmed Zaitsev isn't injured.He can't hide from the Toronto media forever as the Senators open up their season in Toronto on October 2.
