Double Olympic champion Alexander Kozhevnikov believes that the transfer of the defender Nikita Zaitsev in Saint Petersburg SKA is the most important transfer of the current offseason KHL .
On Thursday, SKA announced the signing of Zaitsev to a four-year contract.
— Nikita Zaitsev’s transfer to SKA is the most powerful transfer of the KHL offseason. One of our best defenders will come to St. Petersburg, right-handed, with extensive NHL experience and at the same time not old at all. 32 is the ideal age for a defensive player.
I am sure that the Zaitsev-Nikishin pair has the potential to become one of the best not only in the KHL, but also in the world. In order to progress further, it is very important for Alexander to play with a partner like Nikita. In the NHL, Zaitsev became a stay-at-home defender, but we remember that in Russia he often joined attacks and constantly scored points. I think these qualities will return, but defensive reliability will not disappear. In the majority, the Nikishin-Zaitsev pair will be a very formidable force. It is also important that Nikita himself wants to play for SKA. Good motivation of players is always half the battle.
“Let’s not forget about the benefits for the Russian team. Sooner or later we will return to the World Championships and the Olympic Games, and hockey players like Zaitsev will immediately help us get involved in the fight for the highest places in the main tournaments,” Kozhevnikov was quoted as saying by “Championship”.
During the 2023/24 season, the hockey player played 38 games with Chicago in the National Hockey League (NHL) regular season, scoring two goals and providing five assists.
Previously, Zaitsev played in the NHL for Toronto and Ottawa, and in Russia he played for Sibir and CSKA.
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Source : MatchTV
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