It's safe to say Zaitsev is one of those Russian gems the NHL is sometimes slow to discover.

The 6-foot-2, 196-pound free agent defenseman signed a one-year, entry-level contract on May 2, 2016, with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who won a recruiting battle with a handful of other NHL teams. Early indications were that Zaitsev could be a steal.

Former NHL defenseman Ryan Whitney, who played against Zaitsev in the Kontinental Hockey League during the 2014-15 season, suggested he would be a pleasant surprise for Toronto fans because of his strong skating and puck-moving skills. Those fans got a sneak peek at Zaitsev at the World Cup of Hockey 2016, when he was a member of Team Russia. It was quite a feather in the cap for a 24-year-old who had yet to play his first NHL game and had gone undrafted by all 30 teams.

Zaitsev was born in Moscow and began his professional career at age 18 in the 2008-09 season playing for Krylia Sovetov, a second-tier Russian pro team. When that team folded, Zaitsev became eligible for the inaugural KHL draft. He was selected fourth overall by Sibir Novosibirsk and spent the next four seasons stint with that club.

With his stock on the rise, Zaitsev left Novosibirsk in 2013 and signed a more lucrative contract with CSKA Moscow. He led all CSKA defensemen in scoring in each of his three seasons with the team and was a two-time KHL All-Star. He was also named to the tournament all-star team at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, helping Russia to win the bronze medal in front of its home fans.

Zaitsev made his NHL debut Oct. 12, 2016 for the Maple Leafs in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators. He scored his first NHL goal Dec. 17, 2016 in a 2-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played in all 82 games his rookie season, scoring 36 points (four goals, 32 assists).

In 2017-18, he was limited to 60 games by a lower-body injury and had 13 points (five goals, eight assists). The next season, he had 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 81 games.

Zaitsev was traded to the Senators on July 1, 2019. He had 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in 58 games in his first season in Ottawa.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• Signed as a free agent by Toronto, May 2, 2016.
• Traded to Ottawa by Toronto with Connor Brown and Michael Carcone for Cody Ceci, Ben Harpur, Aaron Luchuk and a 3rd-round pick in 2020 NHL Draft, July 1, 2019.
• Traded to Chicago by Ottawa with a 2nd-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and a 4th-round pick in 2026 for future considerations, February 23, 2023.