Quoting: OldNYIfan
"Acquiring Zaitsev makes sense" precisely because he isn't a cap dump. You have refuted your own argument. He's a perfectly good 3rd-pairing d-man on a long-term contract that the Ducks can afford, and is an absolute requirement this season given the dire weakness of their right-side defense.
"Acquiring Zaitsev makes sense"
but there had better be an asset attached. Cherry picking comments is over-rated. If we change *precisely because he isn't a cap dump* to *precisely because he
IS a cap dump*, then all of the sudden you've refuted your own argument. See how full sentences matter, and if we change things to our own benefit it's easier to make a counter-argument?
You're right, Anaheim can afford Zaitsev. Anaheim can also afford multiple other cheaper options. Paying $4.5 mil/year to a 3rd pairing dman (as you said he is) is a bit foolish though, especially with the term attached. Just because a team can afford a player today, doesn't make it a smart move for the following season(s). See: Zaitsev in Toronto. Team could afford him, then all of the sudden they couldn't. Why not use the $10.5ish mil in cap space to acquire any number of equally capable 3rd pairing dmen.
You've turned a team that has freed some seriously needed cap space into a team that's back into cap hell, and haven't improved it.