RUMOR: CSKA luring Two Talented Maple Leafs Players

CSKA Luring Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs, led by the outstanding play of their talented rookies, have been a revelation this season in the NHL. For the first season in a long time the talk around the Leafs from fans and analysts has been about the product on the ice, rather than off-ice intrigue. That is…until now.

The President of CSKA Moscow in the KHL raised eyebrows today when he proclaimed that the team will do everything in its power to lure Leafs Nikita Zaitsev and Alexey Marchenko back to his team this offseason. One thing’s for sure, CSKA Moscow will have their work cut out for them as it’s been reported that the Leafs are on the verge of signing Zaitsev to a long-term deal.

Zaitsev starred for CSKA Moscow for three seasons before signing with the Leafs this past offseason, putting up 70 points in 136 games for the KHL powerhouse. Since joining the Leafs this season, however, Zaitsev has taken his game to the next level and has produced 36 points in 78 games playing mostly alongside talented blueliner Jake Gardiner. Marchenko, on the other hand, hasn’t had near the impact of his teammate but has looked steady during his 11 games with the Leafs this season.

Whether Zaitsev or Marchenko can be lured back to Russia this summer remains to be seen, but one can expect that the temptation will be there for both and could affect contract negotiations with the new NHL club.