“Zaitsev’s move to SKA is the most powerful transfer of the KHL offseason” – Kozhevnikov

Two-time Olympic champion Alexander Kozhevnikov believes that the transfer of defenseman Nikita Zaitsev to St. Petersburg SKA is the most important transfer in the current KHL offseason.

On Thursday, SKA announced the signing of a four-year contract with Zaitsev.

— Nikita Zaitsev’s transfer to SKA is the most powerful transfer of the KHL offseason. One of our best defensemen, a right-hander, with huge NHL experience and not at all old, will come to St. Petersburg. 32 years is the prime of life for a defenseman.

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. For further progress, it is very important for Alexander to play with a partner like Nikita. In the NHL, Zaitsev was made into a stay-at-home defenseman, but we remember that in Russia he often joined in attacks and consistently scored points. I think these qualities will return, and his reliability in defense will not go anywhere. 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. The right motivation for a player is always half the success.

We also don’t forget about the benefit for the Russian national team. Sooner or later we will return to the World Championships and the Olympics, and hockey players like Zaitsev will help us immediately get involved in the fight for the highest places in the main tournaments, – “Championship” quotes Kozhevnikov as saying.

In the 2023/24 season, the hockey player played 38 matches for Chicago in the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), scored two goals and made five assists.

Previously, Zaitsev played in the NHL for Toronto and Ottawa, and in Russia he played for Sibir and CSKA.