Nikita Zaitsev facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nikita Zaitsev |
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Zaitsev with Russia in 2014
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| Born | 29 October 1991 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| KHL team Former teams |
SKA Saint Petersburg Sibir Novosibirsk CSKA Moscow Toronto Maple Leafs Ottawa Senators Chicago Blackhawks |
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| National team |  Russia |
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| NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 2009–present | ||
Nikita Igorevich Zaitsev (Russian: Никита Игоревич Зайцев; born on October 29, 1991) is a professional ice hockey player from Russia. He plays as a defenceman, which means he helps protect his team's goal. Currently, he plays for SKA Saint Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
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Playing Career: Nikita Zaitsev's Hockey Journey
Nikita Zaitsev has played for several teams in both Russia and North America. He started his professional career in the KHL before moving to the NHL, and has now returned to the KHL.
Starting in the KHL
Zaitsev began his professional hockey journey when he was picked by Sibir Novosibirsk in the 2009 KHL Junior Draft. He started playing for them just a few months later. After four years with Sibir, he moved to his hometown team, CSKA Moscow.
Playing for CSKA Moscow helped him get noticed by teams around the world. He was chosen as a KHL All-Star twice, in 2015 and 2016. He was also named to the KHL First All-Star team in 2015, which means he was one of the best players in the league that season.
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In 2015, the National Hockey League (NHL) team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, became very interested in Zaitsev. He even visited Toronto and met with the team, and he was very impressed. However, he decided to stay in Russia to finish his contract with CSKA. In the playoffs that season, he was one of the top-scoring defencemen, helping CSKA reach the Gagarin Cup finals. They played a tough Game 7 but lost to Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
Playing in the NHL
Time with the Toronto Maple Leafs
On May 2, 2016, Zaitsev signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was his first step into the NHL. He played his first pre-season game on October 2, scoring a goal. On October 12, 2016, he made his official NHL debut. His coach, Mike Babcock, praised his good play.
Zaitsev scored his first NHL goal on December 17, 2016. By the end of his first season, he had 36 points, which was a great start. He became one of Toronto's top defencemen, playing important roles on the penalty kill (when a team has fewer players on the ice) and power play (when a team has more players on the ice). In the 2017 playoffs, he helped guard against star player Alexander Ovechkin's line.
After his strong first season, Zaitsev signed a new seven-year contract with the Maple Leafs on May 2, 2017. He was playing a lot of minutes for the team. During the 2017–18 season, he had an injury that kept him out for 17 games. When he returned, his play wasn't as strong as his first year. In the 2018–19 season, he faced some criticism for his play, especially during the playoffs. After that season, he asked to be traded from Toronto.
Moving to the Ottawa Senators
On July 1, 2019, Zaitsev was traded to the Ottawa Senators. He was paired with Thomas Chabot, another top defenceman, and was named one of the team's alternate captains. The Senators' coach, D. J. Smith, used Zaitsev as a defensive defenceman, meaning his main job was to stop the other team's best players.
He had a tough time during the 2021–22 season, which was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also missed time due to being on the COVID protocol list and an injury in December. In November 2022, Zaitsev was placed on waivers, which meant other teams could claim him. He was then sent to the American Hockey League (AHL) to play for the Belleville Senators for a short time before being called back up.
Playing for the Chicago Blackhawks
On February 22, 2023, Zaitsev was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. He played his first game with the Blackhawks on March 4 and scored his first goal for them on March 23. In his second season with Chicago, he injured his right knee in January 2024 but returned to play in March.
Return to the KHL
On July 4, 2024, Nikita Zaitsev returned to the KHL, signing a four-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg.
Career Statistics: How Nikita Zaitsev Performed
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2008–09 | MHC Krylya Sovetov | RUS.2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2008–09 | MHC Krylya Sovetov–2 | RUS.4 | 23 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Sibir Novosibirsk | KHL | 40 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Siberian Snipers | MHL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Sibir Novosibirsk | KHL | 39 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 | Siberian Snipers | MHL | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Zauralie Kurgan | VHL | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2011–12 | Sibir Novosibirsk | KHL | 53 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Siberian Snipers | MHL | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Sibir Novosibirsk | KHL | 49 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 41 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2013–14 | CSKA Moscow | KHL | 33 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 27 | ||
| 2014–15 | CSKA Moscow | KHL | 57 | 12 | 20 | 32 | 31 | 16 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 2015–16 | CSKA Moscow | KHL | 46 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 20 | 20 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 10 | ||
| 2016–17 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 82 | 4 | 32 | 36 | 38 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 60 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 81 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2019–20 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 58 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 55 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 62 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 28 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Belleville Senators | AHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 18 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 38 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | SKA Saint Petersburg | KHL | 58 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| KHL totals | 375 | 33 | 72 | 105 | 185 | 55 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 51 | ||||
| NHL totals | 482 | 22 | 96 | 118 | 197 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||
International Play
Nikita Zaitsev has also represented Russia in many international hockey tournaments, winning several medals.
 Zaitsev at the 2010 World Junior Championships |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
| Representing Russia |
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| World Championships | ||
| Bronze | 2016 Russia | |
| Bronze | 2019 Slovakia | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 2011 United States | |
| World U18 Championships | ||
| Silver | 2009 United States | |
| 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: Nikita Zaitsev's Achievements
| 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 | |
