PLAYOFF GAME DAY: Game 5: Ottawa Senators (1) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (3) - 7:00pm ET - Thu. Apr. 22nd, 2010

SeawaySensFan wrote:

N4L wrote:So people are not against trading Spezza, but it has to be for something better then he is? Ummmm, Spezza isnt worth a top 5 pick, hate to break that to people.

Anyways, Im not sure what people even want here. Everyone is all over the place.

He's not worth dealing for anything less than a Top 5 pick either. If there's a sucker willing to overpay, that's the only worthwhile deal. Otherwise, you work to build a supporting cast for the guy if he indeed can't cut it.

So basically you are saying build the team around Spezza?

M_Christopher wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:Spezza, Leclaire and Kuba to EDM for Horcoff, MSP and Souray!!!

Pass, MSP is the only one worth anything there. Horcoff is a shell of what he was and Souray is flat out injury-prone

Still beats the hell out of a mid-rounder and mid-tier prospect! lol I'm only kidding. EDM would not even deal MSP for Spezza straight up right now.

N4L wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

N4L wrote:My hate is more brought on by people always making excuses for him. It's like their kid who is a criminal... "nooo, he's a good kid, he would never do that".

Anyways, no, Spezza isnt close to good enough to get The Sens a top 5 pick, hell, he isnt good enough to get The Sens a top 10 pick. Best you can hope for is perhaps a mid rounder and a mid tier prospect for him.

It's becoming comical again with you and Spezza.

What did Kovulchuk go for? Spezza doesnt have anywhere near his value and they didnt even get a top 20 pick out of it. They also got a guy no one heard of before the season started along with a prospect that NJ wanted no part of and Oduya.

I would LOVE to hear what you actually think Spezza is worth along with his 35 million left on the books.

Are people seriously so blind here in Ottawa?

A early-mid 1st rounder and a Blue-chip prospect.

Despite a big contract,Spezza does come locked up, Kovalchuk's value was low because a) Don Waddell is brutal at trading it seems (not that Murray has a better track record) and b) His rumoured contract demands hurt his value big time.

N4L wrote:So you just live with him for the next 5 years and wollow in mediocrity?

I explained to you already that you don't have to live with it. He's got a NTC, not a NMC, there are tons of ways around it.

Instead of having N4L spam the forums ad nauseum with his distaste for Spezza, here are some of tonight's keys to the game for an Ottawa win:

1. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. And then shoot some more. Ottawa is 14th out of 16 playoff teams in shots on goal. Fleury's been just as bad in Pittsburgh's nets as Ottawa's Elliott has been. He hasn't been forced to make a decent save yet and has been caught out of position more than once this series. The onus is on the forwards to carve out a spot in front of him and make his life hell tonight. Putting shots on net is paramount. It should be plan 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D tonight.

2. Forecheck hard. The Penguins have had a free-pass break out from their zone over the last two games. It's time for that to change. Their blueline is about as average as it's ever been. Now is the time to get in hard on them, punish them physically and force them to make plays faster than they've been used to the last three games. These guys will cough up the puck - 27 turnovers through 4 games.

3. Powerplay special. Our power play is superb at 42.9%. Theirs is above average at 26.3%. We need to continue to exploit the discrepancy in power play power. But we need to be disciplined too.

4. Drive the net. Enough dipsy-doodling to the outside. Cut through the middle and go flying at Fleury. Crash that crease and start putting some of the rebounds behind this guy. He's easily the weakest link on the team. These guys have to start paying the price to get to the prime real estate - specifically the third and fourth lines. You guys don't get paid to be on SportsCenter's plays of the week. Enough dicking around already and start playing like the games mean something.

5. Attack, attack, attack. No more sitting back and playing not to lose. Let it all hang tonight. Go at them and go at them harder than you ever have.

N4L wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

N4L wrote:So people are not against trading Spezza, but it has to be for something better then he is? Ummmm, Spezza isnt worth a top 5 pick, hate to break that to people.

Anyways, Im not sure what people even want here. Everyone is all over the place.

He's not worth dealing for anything less than a Top 5 pick either. If there's a sucker willing to overpay, that's the only worthwhile deal. Otherwise, you work to build a supporting cast for the guy if he indeed can't cut it.

So basically you are saying build the team around Spezza?

I'm saying you don't piss away a young, point-per-game Center who is still only finding his game. When you're into the 5th overall pick you're already in crapshoot territory.

N4L wrote:My hate is more brought on by people always making excuses for him. It's like their kid who is a criminal... "nooo, he's a good kid, he would never do that".

Anyways, no, Spezza isnt close to good enough to get The Sens a top 5 pick, hell, he isnt good enough to get The Sens a top 10 pick. Best you can hope for is perhaps a mid rounder and a mid tier prospect for him.

I don't care if I get an infraction, someone has to call you out on that.

That is single most idiotic thing I have read on these boards since joining up. The fact you think one of the better PPG players since the lockout couldn't garner more than a mid pick and mid prospect is comical. You are fully allowed to have your own opinion, but to act like such a pompous donkey and to think anyone actually takes what you have to say seriously is ridiculous.

The worst thing about this is that when you're not talking about Spezza you're a pretty level headed guy. But your Spezza hate is getting to the point where I, and likely others, can't take you seriously.

Yes Spezza had a bad game, yes he's had a bad series. He is also fresh off the best stretch of his career while completly changing his game. Oh and did I mention he's only 26 years old? That might seem like an old man when looking at other young talents, but he hasn't even hit his prime yet.

/rant

Spezza MIGHT be able to get a top 10 pick, top 5 no shot. There are very few teams that would deal for him though so the options are limited to begin with.

Atlanta, St.Louis, Columbus, Florida... maybe Edmonton or Calgary. That's about all I could think so.

Wait check this out from everyones favorite 'writer'

SunGarrioch: The reason Pascal Leclaire is starting: He will be the No. 1 next year. The team has sent a message to Brian Elliott.

stempniaksen wrote:

N4L wrote:My hate is more brought on by people always making excuses for him. It's like their kid who is a criminal... "nooo, he's a good kid, he would never do that".

Anyways, no, Spezza isnt close to good enough to get The Sens a top 5 pick, hell, he isnt good enough to get The Sens a top 10 pick. Best you can hope for is perhaps a mid rounder and a mid tier prospect for him.

I don't care if I get an infraction, someone has to call you out on that.

That is single most idiotic thing I have read on these boards since joining up. The fact you think one of the better PPG players since the lockout couldn't garner more than a mid pick and mid prospect is comical. You are fully allowed to have your own opinion, but to act like such a pompous donkey and to think anyone actually takes what you have to say seriously is ridiculous.

The worst thing about this is that when you're not talking about Spezza you're a pretty level headed guy. But your Spezza hate is getting to the point where I, and likely others, can't take you seriously.

Yes Spezza had a bad game, yes he's had a bad series. He is also fresh off the best stretch of his career while completly changing his game. Oh and did I mention he's only 26 years old? That might seem like an old man when looking at other young talents, but he hasn't even hit his prime yet.

/rant

Yup the best 28 games since he signed his contract 3 years ago. Where was he the 1st 1/2 of the year? Oh ya, he was "hurt". Where was he last year? oh ya, coaching problems. Where was he during the melt down of 07/08? Oh ya, the whole team was to blame there along with Emery.

He was only 23, he was only 24, he was only 25, now he's only 26. Next year he will be only 27 and the same questions that people had about him when he came into the league are still there.

How many teams would deal for Spezza? Not a lot. Most teams are either building a solid young core (where Spezza would not help in the area's needed) or they just have a better center.

You sure called me out but the fact of the matter remains Spezza, when it matters is still the same 20 year old kid that came into the league with questions about his character along with his inability to correct bad habits. It cost them huge this year. That "28 game" stretch (82 game season incase you forgot) was just that, a stretch. Ill use the almost 3 seasons before it.

Spezza isnt a franchise player and it has been proven time and time again.

M_Christopher wrote:Wait check this out from everyones favorite 'writer'

SunGarrioch: The reason Pascal Leclaire is starting: He will be the No. 1 next year. The team has sent a message to Brian Elliott.

That would be bad news, bad, bad news.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

N4L wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

N4L wrote:So people are not against trading Spezza, but it has to be for something better then he is? Ummmm, Spezza isnt worth a top 5 pick, hate to break that to people.

Anyways, Im not sure what people even want here. Everyone is all over the place.

He's not worth dealing for anything less than a Top 5 pick either. If there's a sucker willing to overpay, that's the only worthwhile deal. Otherwise, you work to build a supporting cast for the guy if he indeed can't cut it.

So basically you are saying build the team around Spezza?

I'm saying you don't piss away a young, point-per-game Center who is still only finding his game. When you're into the 5th overall pick you're already in crapshoot territory.

Young? He isnt young, now, he isnt old but 7 years in the league is hardly rookie territory. The guy isnt changing.

M_Christopher wrote:Wait check this out from everyones favorite 'writer'

SunGarrioch: The reason Pascal Leclaire is starting: He will be the No. 1 next year. The team has sent a message to Brian Elliott.

WOW! OK THEN!

SpezDispenser wrote:

M_Christopher wrote:Wait check this out from everyones favorite 'writer'

SunGarrioch: The reason Pascal Leclaire is starting: He will be the No. 1 next year. The team has sent a message to Brian Elliott.

That would be bad news, bad, bad news.

Thats just a bold prediction founded on nothing.

Depending on howLeclaire does for the rest ofthe playoffs, Iwould say it's Elliotts to lose, but at the very least it's a 4 horse race between Leclaire, Lehner, Brodeur and Elliott.

Good ole Brucey

God, make it stop. I can't take a summer of hearing about Spezza day in and day out.

M_Christopher wrote:Wait check this out from everyones favorite 'writer'

SunGarrioch: The reason Pascal Leclaire is starting: He will be the No. 1 next year. The team has sent a message to Brian Elliott.

Doesn't surprise me. They didn't trade for Leclaire to sit him on the bench and play him 20 games a year while a kid who's struggled badly in the playoffs takes the reins.
Besides, if you look at their top seasons, Leclaire's potential far outweighs Elliott's. It's just through sheer bad luck, much like most of this year has been for the team generally, that he isn't the starter.

Meh, you wont hear a lick from me because I would have given up all hope for the next 5 years if he's actually still here.

Wont be paying for a single game either. Anyone who says there is someone there to take your spot, nope, there isnt.

How about, what if Steve Downie wasn't a dirty Wangsipper?