Report: Canucks inquired about Leafs' Zaitsev

The Vancouver Canucks have checked in with the Toronto Maple Leafs regarding the cost of acquiring defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, a source told Sportsnet's Rick Dhaliwal.

Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas announced last week that the team and Zaitsev are working together to find a fresh start for personal reasons.

Toronto originally signed Zaitsev from the KHL on a one-year deal in May 2016. He parlayed a solid rookie showing into a seven-year, $31.5-million extension awarded by then-general manager Lou Lamoriello.

Zaitsev's current contract carries a $4.5-million cap hit until 2023-24 and includes a 10-team no-trade clause that kicks in on July 1. The 27-year-old contributed three goals and 11 assists over 81 games with the Leafs last season while playing primarily in a shutdown and penalty-killing role.

Vancouver enters the summer with just over $30 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly, and has plenty of holes to fill on the blue line with just one defenseman under contract beyond next season.

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