Where will Spezza end up?

504Heater wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:Change the name to the Ottawa Spezza's then.

Jaques Lamaire just totally trashed the Sens and their locker room. "Neil can play for me on any team"

"There is cancer in the locker room".

He basically said the top players are the cancer in a nut shell.

Holy Dung. Jacques Lemaire said that!!? Since when does he say stuff like that! I'm stunned...literally stunned.

Demers, I got the names mixed up, either way its still coming from a reputalble guy.

BigRig77 wrote:

RobbyJ wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:Change the name to the Ottawa Spezza's then.

Jaques Lamaire just totally trashed the Sens and their locker room. "Neil can play for me on any team"

"There is cancer in the locker room".

He basically said the top players are the cancer in a nut shell.

That was a brilliant tirade by Demers. He left absolutely no doubt that in his opinion the problem is BOTH Heatley and Spezza.

I KNOW!

Seriously, it was great hearing that. I'm sick of all the pro toronto media crap we have to deal all the time. Hearing that coming from Demers spoke volumes. He's a good coach, and a very respected hockey man. He said things that we've been saying for months about the lockeroom.

of course it also means we're really in trouble too....but we already knew that!

8)

Wait, wait. Jacque Demers? The former coach of the Habs, the little fat guy on RDS or Jacques Lemaire, the legendary coach of the Minnesota Wild?

Neely4Life wrote:

Demers, I got the names mixed up, either way its still coming from a reputalble guy.

Oh. I wouldn't call him overly respected to be frank. Still...where there's smoke. What are his sources.

Expierence apparently. He knows when something is wrong, he has coached 4 teams and won a cup. There has been smoke in Ottawa for a while, and its basically become an inferno.

It's been rumoured pretty heavily that Spezza may end up with Rick Nash in Columbus. Now there is a winger that will demand excellence from his center. I have total respect for Rick Nash, and what he has done on basically a shi$%ty team.

I say he ends up there. Will we get full value for Spezza or Heatley. No. Does that mean we should keep the bastards? No. Move those two, and watch the lunch pail crowd on this team wake up and start playing like a team

DashRiprock wrote:Columbus doesn't have to move Salary though, if they have 4.3 million in space, they can afford Spezza this year. They can worry about his salary next season.

Asq2, I'm only playing his game and coming up with realistic proposals based on his theory. I'm just trying to show how based on N4L's perspective why deals for Spezza would be minimal.

I'd only move Spezza for the right deal. If he is a problem as N4L and others suggest, he might have to go for the better of the team. Also, taking into account economic downfall, he is the only high paid player that can be traded at any time.

Would you rather the Sens keep the money the have invested in their top 4 highest paid players (Heatley, Spezza, Alfredsson & Fisher - all forwards) or would you rather they have one elite foward, one elite defenceman and one elite goalie? For that money they could have:
Spezza, Luongo and Chara.

Up until this season, having the three forwards has done well for Ottawa. And having a goalie in Kipprusoff, defenceman in Phaneuf and forward in Iginla wasn't for Calgary.

There's no "winning strategy." I agree that more money needs to be invested in the defence, but at the same time it needs to be spent differently - on offence, rather than defence on the blue-line.

However, we are getting our own in rookie contracts in Karlsson and Wiercioch soon enough, and potentially Hedman as well.

I will say this - not one Cup has been won without a team either boasting a legendary goaltender or a top-notch centreman. And without Spezza, we do not have even a middle-notch centreman in the entire organization.

You're not going to get the right deal for Spezza. His value is low because he's playing badly and the whole team sucks. Other GMs right now are vultures trying to rip away the last of our talent.

Look, I'm not going to pretend like we don't need to get some of the money from the forward corps to the defence. But why on earth would someone think that Spezza, therefore, is the logical choice? He's the youngest, he's cheaper than Heatley, he's a centre which is more important than a winger and he's the best.

Dealing Spezza right now should be the last thing we consider. Get Fisher the **** out of here. Even trade Heatley, who I'm sure would gladly waive the NTC and probably has more value. He's 28. Spezza's 25. In a re-build, Spezza is the one you keep for numerous, numerous reasons.

DashRiprock wrote:If I was told to trade two of Heatley, Spezza and Fisher, I would be looking to acquire a proven #1 goalie, like a Luongo, Nabokov, Lundqvist (or the like); a top 2 defenceman (Phaneuf, Burns, Weber, Bouwmeester); and a less expensive power-forward (Nash, Horton, Brown). I'd say that 90% of those players are highly unlikely to be traded.

I hate to say it but I think Ottawa is screwed thanks in part to the contracts (f-u economy and NTC's), and the fact that the players we need to move are playing like crap.

Would you make this trade, or would this deal ever happen in a real world?
Spezza for Toskala and Kaberle
and does this deal benefit Ottawa?

What about Heatley for Schneider/Luongo and Bieksa/Edler?

Fisher for Sullivan or Franson?

Spezza for Kaberle and Toskala? **** NO

Absolutely disgraceful. Not only are you thinking of trading our franchise player within the division, but you're taking back more salary in a couple of thirty-somethings, one of whom is over-rated and the other of whom just sucks.

Yes, I'd deal Fisher. Why would any team deal Spezza before Fisher? Why?

beedub wrote:It's been rumoured pretty heavily that Spezza may end up with Rick Nash in Columbus. Now there is a winger that will demand excellence from his center. I have total respect for Rick Nash, and what he has done on basically a shi$%ty team.

I say he ends up there. Will we get full value for Spezza or Heatley. No. Does that mean we should keep the bastards? No. Move those two, and watch the lunch pail crowd on this team wake up and start playing like a team

Columbus and Spezza are not happening.

I really recommend this as an insight on Columbusian affairs.

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=594062

They can't afford him.

asq2 wrote:

beedub wrote:It's been rumoured pretty heavily that Spezza may end up with Rick Nash in Columbus. Now there is a winger that will demand excellence from his center. I have total respect for Rick Nash, and what he has done on basically a shi$%ty team.

I say he ends up there. Will we get full value for Spezza or Heatley. No. Does that mean we should keep the bastards? No. Move those two, and watch the lunch pail crowd on this team wake up and start playing like a team

Columbus and Spezza are not happening.

I really recommend this as an insight on Columbusian affairs.

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=594062

They can't afford him.

Unless that guy is Scott Howson, I can't possibly imagine how he'd know what the Blue Jackets are thinking or planning.

asq2 wrote:
Columbus and Spezza are not happening.

I really recommend this as an insight on Columbusian affairs.

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=594062

They can't afford him.

I read that entire thesis damn you.

Make it happen ASQ, get Fisher the **** out of here then, free up that $$ and let's bomb Boumeester with an 8 X 8.

Man...the more I think about, we could carpet bomb any team who wants Bouwmeester. Maybe for once we'll be the ones driving prices up. That makes me oddly happy. :D

Yes, I'd deal Fisher. Why would any team deal Spezza before Fisher? Why?

I agree with your points about Spezza being the logical choice for a rebuilding team to keep. I'm guessing the main argument for keeping Fisher and getting rid of Spezza seems to be the perceived effort level of both players. Fisher tries hard and barely produces anything point-wise. His intangibles are nice, but not doing much for Ottawa since no one can do it alone.

Spezza's effort level leaves lots to be desired, but he is actually producing somewhat on an awful team, and is earning his salary (production-wise) relative to Fisher.

IMO the effort level matters for the culture of the team, but not to the extent that you deal Spezza and hang on to Fisher in this scenario.

Also worth mentioning is the movement clause Fisher has.

If Spezza was the kind of guy you could count on to build with, then ya, I would keep him. The thing is, he brings a losing attitude, a lazy work ethic, and general traits I would not want my younger guys around.

Spezza isnt being dealt because of a lack of tallent, or because he is too old. If he is dealt its because he forced the Sens to because of his overall attitude.

If he ever did go to Atlanta his career would basically be a shell of what it could have been if he ever really wanted to be a winner and a go to guy.

Neely4Life wrote:

asq2 wrote:

DashRiprock wrote:I'll play your game N4L:

Spezza to Columbus for a draft pick, a forward prospect (not named Voracek or Filatov) and a defence prospect.

Columbus is in a playoff contention position, and with Brassard out for the season, they could use some experience down the middle. Ken Wang seems to like Spezza's abilities and perhaps thinks he can improve him as a player.

Now, because they are in a playoff position, it is very unlikely they move a roster player, unless it is a 3rd-4th liner, because why would they want to mess with chemistry and move someone who has been instrumental in getting them where they are?

Players that could be available:

- Pascal Leclaire, G
Steve Mason is their number one goalie now, he's cheaper, and Leclaire is having durability issues. Unlikely Ottawa wants or needs him, though.

- Stefan Legein, F
Once a highly touted prospect, he announced his retirement at age 19, shocking many people. He has since been reinstated and I believe is playing in the AHL for Syracuse.

- John Hughes, RW
A former Brampton Battalion who left the OHL with hopes of making the Jackets. However he was cut and rather accept assignment to Syracuse or report back to Brampton, he followed the money to Austria, where I have little about how he has been performing. His rights, if still belong to Columbus, could be dealt.

Never.

Get rid of Heatley before Spezza.

Spezza's less lazy and 25 to Heatley's 28.

I can't believe this "trade Spezza" talk has resurfaced again. I guess I'm just going to have to avoid this place until it blows over, because I'm so sick of encountering the same arguments and refuting them.

Hey, if you want a lazy, career loser on your team, then all the power to ya.

Spezza is a career loser...

Calling a guy that has made the NHL and signed long term for a boatload of money a loser is a bit of a stretch.

He isn't the one with 1500 posts in 4 months...

Need something to do in class.... and you dont come here and start things up eh... haha

Thats basically a shot at everyone who posts here quite a bit.

TeamRenzo wrote:
He isn't the one with 1500 posts in 4 months...

I have almost 2000 posts and 504Heater is closing in on 4000. What's your point?

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

TeamRenzo wrote:
He isn't the one with 1500 posts in 4 months...

I have almost 2000 posts and 504Heater is closing in on 4000. What's your point?

My point is that N4L really isn't in a position to call Spezza a loser.

How am I not? Just because he has god given tallent doesnt make him a winner.

Neely4Life wrote:How am I not? Just because he has god given tallent doesnt make him a winner.

And just because he is having a Dung year doesn't make him a loser.

He will rebound and will be a conerstone for the 2012 Stanley Cup winning Ottawa Senators!

Book it!