The Future of Spezza

Waht does the future of Spezza hold for The Ottawa Senators? This is going to be the biggest decision in franchise history and will determine what direction Bryan Murray takes The Ottawa Senators for the next 5-10 years, so what are you're thoughts on the situation.

Is this something that has to happen for for Spezza and The Ottawa Senators? Has too much happend for Ottawa to win with Spezza and for Spezza to reach his potential? Are they better off without each other? Is Ottawa in a lot of trouble without Spezza moving forward considering what they might possibly get back or pick up in the UFA market?

What's Spezza worth? What teams are a good fit for him? Can Ottawa be a better team without him or is there no hope?

Let's hear it because this is going to be the main topic in The NHL next to the draft after the finals are over, let alone just Ottawa.

What's he worth? Not as much as people here seem to think or hope. Truth is, his value is low because he has not been producing the way he should be, and the fans treat him like crap, he's the center of attention in the city and in the news for a team not even in the playoffs.

You're not getting a 1st round pick for him. You will be getting a player the other team does not want just as much as Ottawa apparently does not want Spezza. A team will take him in return for you taking their crap, like Ottawa had to do with Cheechoo.

The UFA pickings are awfully slim. If Ottawa is going to deal Spezza, they better get a Center that is at least an upgrade on Fisher AND move them up in the draft, or else they are screwed.

It would be years before Ottawa got a center of Spezza's level via free agency.

They might get a top 5 pick in the next few years that could live up to that potential as well.

Dash wrote:What's he worth? Not as much as people here seem to think or hope. Truth is, his value is low because he has not been producing the way he should be, and the fans treat him like crap, he's the center of attention in the city and in the news for a team not even in the playoffs.

You're not getting a 1st round pick for him. You will be getting a player the other team does not want just as much as Ottawa apparently does not want Spezza. A team will take him in return for you taking their crap, like Ottawa had to do with Cheechoo.

I disagree with that depending on who he goes to and what the deal is.

Ottawa doesnt have to trade Spezza, that's the difference between the Heatley trade and Spezza's deal. They are not alike in the least.

SeawaySensFan wrote:The UFA pickings are awfully slim. If Ottawa is going to deal Spezza, they better get a Center that is at least an upgrade on Fisher AND move them up in the draft, or else they are screwed.

That's a good way of putting it and 100% legit.

That guy in Dallas says they'd trade him for a D-Man and try to land Marleau.

Fat chance Marleau would sign here.

We'd get fleeced trading Spezza that's the best reason I can think to NOT trade him.

I do suspect the Sens don't think we'll win with Spezza here, kind of like the Bruins decided with Thornton.

With Spezza's NTC looming they may be looking to cut their losses.

Hoags wrote:That guy in Dallas says they'd trade him for a D-Man and try to land Marleau.

Fat chance Marleau would sign here.

We'd get fleeced trading Spezza that's the best reason I can think to NOT trade him.

I do suspect the Sens don't think we'll win with Spezza here, kind of like the Bruins decided with Thornton.

With Spezza's NTC looming they may be looking to cut their losses.

I get the opposite feeling - I think Murray does want Spezza here, and thinks he is a part of the solution, he just wants to make sure Spezza is on the same page as he is.

We know that Murray has targeted Robidas - or that was the hot rumour. I could see a deal based around him, a Dallas center and perhaps a pick.

SpezDispenser wrote:We know that Murray has targeted Robidas - or that was the hot rumour. I could see a deal based around him, a Dallas center and perhaps a pick.

CapGeek says he has a NTC... don't know if it's limited or what the terms are.

SpezDispenser wrote:We know that Murray has targeted Robidas - or that was the hot rumour. I could see a deal based around him, a Dallas center and perhaps a pick.

That would work, although I don't see us getting their pick outright. We would have to swap ours ie.

Spezza, Lee and/or Kuba and our 1st for

Richards, Robidas and theirs

can we pry Eriksson out of Dallas somehow instead? The terms are almost identical, but Spezza makes much more.

The Thornton trade is a pretty close comparison. You might get three serviceable guys for Spezza, especially to balance out contracts.

That Dallas proposal highly favours Ottawa. Richards is a better player than Spezza - he is a winner, he is a top scorer wherever he is, he is a leader, he is a responsible player and he is an MVP. His only flaw is his contract, which will be up much sooner than Spezza's.

Dash wrote:The Thornton trade is a pretty close comparison. You might get three serviceable guys for Spezza, especially to balance out contracts.

That Dallas proposal highly favours Ottawa. Richards is a better player than Spezza - he is a winner, he is a top scorer wherever he is, he is a leader, he is a responsible player and he is an MVP. His only flaw is his contract, which will be up much sooner than Spezza's.

Which is why it doesn't "highly" favour Ottawa.

Hoags wrote:That guy in Dallas says they'd trade him for a D-Man and try to land Marleau.

Fat chance Marleau would sign here.

We'd get fleeced trading Spezza that's the best reason I can think to NOT trade him.

I do suspect the Sens don't think we'll win with Spezza here, kind of like the Bruins decided with Thornton.

With Spezza's NTC looming they may be looking to cut their losses.

Not to put you on the spot or anything, but how far has Boston gone since trading Thornton? The trade allowed them to get Chara (I think only Sturm remains from the original trade), but the Bruins have struggled to score the last couple of seasons, and it has cost them dearly. Chara only has 1 year left on his contract -- will he re-sign? After fleecing the Leafs in the Kessel trade, they might have some exciting players contributing in the next 2-3 years, but by that time Chara (and Sturm, for that matter) may well be gone.

So, in retrospect, how did the Thornton trade improved the Bruins? I think the answer is, if not for the sudden (and brief) emergence of Tim Thomas as a Vezina candidate, the Bruins probably would have been a middle-of-the-pack team. That trade put them in limbo for 5 years.