Nikita Zaitsev goes viral after threatening a fan online

It's been a tough start to the season for the Ottawa Senators after a seemingly fantastic offseason.

The Sens are dead last in the NHL's Atlantic Division with a dismal 5-9-1 record through 15 games. Not exactly the result that the team was looking for after adding pieces like Alex DeBrincat, Claude Giroux and Cam Talbot this past summer. For what it's worth though, all three of those players have been as advertised. Giroux leads the team in scoring with 8 goals and 17 points, DeBrincat isn't far behind with 4 goals and 13 points and Talbot has a rock steady .921 save percentage. Players like DeBrincat, Giroux, Talbot, captain Brady Tkachuk and youngster Tim Stutlze haven't been the problem in Ottawa, it's been the team's lack of depth, especially on the backend, that has been their undoing so far this season.

On a blue line full of underachievers though, there's perhaps no bigger underachiever than Nikita Zaitsev. The 31 year old Russian defenseman has suited up for just seven games this season despite carrying a $4.5 million cap hit both this year and next year. When he has been in the lineup he's been abysmal. With Thomas Chabot out long-term to injury though I'm willing to bet that Zaitsev will once again become a main fixture on the Sens' blue line and that's not likely to sit well with the team's fanbase.

One fan, an anonymous Twitter user who runs the 'Everyday Sens' , shared some DMs he has received from Zaitsev and his family members after parodying Zaitsev on Instagram. In the latest DM Zaitsev appears to threaten him, asking him to meet him 'face to face'.

Check it all out here:

Yikes... that's... that's a bit over the line there Nicky.

They're just memes people... no need to threaten physical violence over a silly Internet joke. Once things get personal and go too far, then it's fair game but when fans are simply criticizing your on-ice play then you don't really have a leg to stand on.

I suggest that Zaitsev block out all this nonsense and get his game back on track.