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Nikita Zaitsev

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Hockey Player

The Resume

    (October 29, 1991- )
    Born in Moscow, Soviet Union
    Defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs (2016-19) and the Ottawa Senators
    Also played for Sibir Novosibirsk (2009-13) and CSKA Moscow (2013-16)
    Signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an undrafted free agent in 2016

Why he might be annoying:

    He is divorced, which came to light after his ex-wife made claims he kidnapped his daughters from her.
    He posted a bizarre statement over Instagram in an attempt to clear his name two weeks after the initial accusations were made.
    He couldn't handle the pressure of playing in Toronto.
    He asked the Maple Leafs to trade him to an American team, but had no problems accepting a trade to the Senators.
    His trade to the Senators was seen as a salary dump by the Leafs, who overpaid him far more then he was actually worth, after his first season in the NHL.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He caught the eye of NHL scouts with his play, shortly after he was acquired by CSKA Moscow.
    He was a member of the Russian national team that won the gold medal at the World Juniors (2011).
    He impressed the Leafs enough in his rookie season to earn a seven year extension with the club.
    Despite initially refusing to accept a trade to another Canadian NHL franchise, he retracted his stance and accepted a trade to Ottawa when he was told he would be guaranteed top four minutes on the team's blueline.
    He served as one of the leaders on the Senators blueline during the team's rebuild of the late 2010s/early 2020s.

Credit: Ricky


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 100% Annoying