Nearly every rumor and report has suggested if and when Russian defenseman Nikita Zaitsev makes the leap to North America and the NHL, he'd land with the Toronto Maple Leafs. On Tuesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet indicated for the first time that another team could be involved in discussions with the 24-year-old free agent blueliner - the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"One very good source warned not to discount Pittsburgh, if Gary Roberts remains in the organization," Friedman wrote. "Zaitsev started training with him three years ago."
Zaitsev, a member of CSKA Moskva, is set to make the leap to the NHL next season, as first reported by Friedman. He's an offensively-minded defenseman who, through 24 games this season for CSKA, has four goals and nine assists. Roberts, a former NHL player, has worked with numerous NHL teams as a kind of elite performance trainer during his post-playing days. He's currently the head of the Sports Performance Center at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.
Per Elite Prospects, Zaitsev plays a "smart two-way game" and possesses a "fine" knack for passing and a good shot. It's been reported previously that the Leafs, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks were interested in adding the still-young defender. A couple of franchise's set to square off on Tuesday night, the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings, reportedly also have "strong interest" in Zaitsev.
But it seems the defensively deficient Penguins may have a leg up of sorts on the competition thanks to Roberts' presence - assuming Roberts remains with the team.
A recent report suggested that Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is determined to add a top-4 defenseman this season. If he's able to do that, especially if he can add a high-level player with term, that would lessen the need for a pursuit of Zaitsev.
Then again, even if Rutherford is able to make an addition ahead of the NHL's Feb. trade deadline, the Cup-starved Pens could use all the help they can get defensively. Beyond Kris Letang, the Pittsburgh blueline has struggled to maintain consistency thus far in 2015-16. Ian Cole and Brian Dumoulin in particular have barely managed to scrape by, increasing the need for an addition to Mike Johnston's defensive group.
While Zaitsev wouldn't solve all their issues - and there's no guarantee he'll sign with them - his potential addition would go a long way toward pushing the reeling Penguins back into the conversation for the league's elite.
