Would you trade these guys all in one package?

N4L wrote:Q: Are you confident that Spezza can help lead this team?

MELNYK: I have known Jason since his junior days when he was playing for Mississauga (in the OHL). I actually tried to trade for him to get him onto St. Mike’s. He’s a tremendous talent. He’s had some bad luck on the ice. Is he emotional? I don’t know him that well. He is an elite player. With elite players, the fans see them making a lot of money and when they aren’t performing, they show their displeasure. On the other hand, it’s amazing when he’s doing well, everybody is throwing roses at the guy. Our fans aren’t like Philly fans. In Philly, the guy would be run out of the building. A little booing to show your displeasure is nothing like what would be done in Philly, New Jersey or New York. We’re actually very polite, very Canadian.

Spezza would be destroyed in a lot of places and he complains that being boo'd is unfair. The guy is as weak mentally as he seems physically at times. Burry him in Atlanta or some other places where he wont be boo's. Good for Melnyk! He said it exactly how it is!

The deal is gonna have to make sense on so many levels to justify trading him though..."burying" him in Atlanta or Columbus or Long Island or wherever isn't gonna cut it.

Obviously not but those are some places where the return could potentially be pretty solid. Just hearing stuff like "SPezza was upset because he was boo'd" makes me so mad. They pay his salary incanse he doesnt know that.

Anyways, I would love to see him down in Atlanta or Florida, that would suit his personality perfectly.

N4L wrote:Obviously not but those are some places where the return could potentially be pretty solid. Just hearing stuff like "SPezza was upset because he was boo'd" makes me so mad. They pay his salary incanse he doesnt know that.

Anyways, I would love to see him down in Atlanta or Florida, that would suit his personality perfectly.

I don't necesarilly disagree with some of what you say, but you have to admit that people turn on Spezza quicker than anyone else on this team. He is widely regarded as the team 'scapegoat' on most nights, even when it's not his fault. He is quickly becoming Wade Redden V2.0 in that regard.

I agree Spezza seems to be the fall guy more often then not and you can tell who the people who trash Spezza for no reason are.

I for one said as long as Spezza contributes in other ways and plays a solid game all around, he will and should be fine. At the begining of the year with his lack of production I said "he's playing better, he will get his points, but he;s coming around". He reverted back to what the problem was the whole time with him when the pressure was one.

Absolutely when people at the begining of the year said "he isnt producing" was unfair and pretty much just ignorant. BUT he didnt do himself any favours with his performance down the stretch where bad habits appeared despite his production and it cost him and The Sens in the playoffs, at that point the booing was just. 15000 people who pay his salary cant be wrong.

So yes, I agree with you when you say he is the scapegoat without cause at times, these playoffs though, all the crap he is getting is totally warrented.

As for Redden V2.0, well, the fans were right there along with Murray for trying to deal him. The Sens have been screwed by 2 NTC's so far, do they really want to be screwed by 1 more?

I'm not disagreeing with anything you say. I'm one of the biggest Spezza backers on this website, but I can't defend the latest playoff series. That being said there's nothing I hate more than the fans who just hop on the 'hating bandwagon' because it's the popular thing to do.

N4L wrote:Obviously not but those are some places where the return could potentially be pretty solid. Just hearing stuff like "SPezza was upset because he was boo'd" makes me so mad. They pay his salary incanse he doesnt know that.

Anyways, I would love to see him down in Atlanta or Florida, that would suit his personality perfectly.

Melnyk says he doesn't know how emotional Spezza is because he doesn't know him that well. Then he goes on to say how fans either boo or throw roses, and the booing is louder in Philly.

So where did you get that "SPezza was upset because he was boo'd" quote from? Look, I'm not trying to defend Spezza, and I'm not even trying to change your mind about him. Just don't make stuff up.

Murray said it on the radio. That was discussed a few times already. Not making anything up, if there is one thing I dont do and I think it has been proven, is make things up.

stempniaksen wrote:I'm not disagreeing with anything you say. I'm one of the biggest Spezza backers on this website, but I can't defend the latest playoff series. That being said there's nothing I hate more than the fans who just hop on the 'hating bandwagon' because it's the popular thing to do.

I defently dont think Spezza is a go to guy, a franchise center, not a top 10 center in The NHL. That being said I was defending the apparent commitment to improving his overall game much of the year... when things got tough though all he did was revert back to his rookie habits. The guy just doesnt get it, at least he wont ever get it in Ottawa. Will he ever hit his potential? Maybe, not in Ottawa and I think he needs to be traded for himself just as much as Ottawa may have to trade him.

I'll never say a loss is on one player because there are ways to turn things around in a period, game, or series, but what Spezza did in game 4 IMO was the biggest on ice mistake of his career. That was the turning point in that game and in the end probably cost them the series because there was no room for error at that point. After that I dont see it ever coming out of his game.

By the way, Neely, you mentioned how 2 of Spezza's points came in the 7-4 blow out. Alfie got two points in that game as well (a goal and an assist as well). In fact, through the first five games of the series Spezza matched Alfie's production game for game. And I still maintain that in the first 3 games Alfie was playing very poorly, while Spezza showed hustle. So, yeah, unfortunately game 6 Spezza was nowhere to be seen, and people still remembered his giveaway. But are they also forgetting that in game 5 OT he drove hard to the net and Foligno scored on the rebound? If not for a frivolous ruling from the league he would have more points that Alfredsson and would have certainly shared the hero role with Foligno.

If Spezza had a hernia he wouldnt even get out of bad. I'll never comapre Spezza and Alfi until someone makes the claim Spezza is the best player in Ottawa.

Regin carried Spezza even strength, he was the guy back checking, forechecking, taking the hits to make the plays, and actually putting the puck in the net. Spezza dishes the puck well, no one can take that away from him but lets not pretend Spezza was the guy to get Regin going because Regin was the guy doing all of the dirty work and getting the goals.

The other thing I will not forget from this past series is when Alfi got hammered by Crosby, Spezza had a chance to lay the guy out and stick checked him... not a shoulder, not a hand, a stick check. That told me all I needed to know about Spezza and his efforts in the playoffs... next game, major turnover and that was it for me. That is what I officially gave up whatever little hope I had Spezza would turn into something special.

If Spezza had a hernia he wouldnt even get out of bad. I'll never comapre Spezza and Alfi until someone makes the claim Spezza is the best player in Ottawa.

Right. That doesn't change the fact that Spezza is the best strictly offensive player on the team and is a top three player on the team consistently.

Regin carried Spezza even strength, he was the guy back checking, forechecking, taking the hits to make the plays, and actually putting the puck in the net. Spezza dishes the puck well, no one can take that away from him but lets not pretend Spezza was the guy to get Regin going because Regin was the guy doing all of the dirty work and getting the goals.

Wrong. Regin has been invisible all year unless he played with elite offensive players. There's a reason Regin looked so much better playing with Kovalev and Spezza, and it's because as a rookie he could slip in between the cracks while Spezza faced man-to-man coverage.

I agree, Spezza and Alfi got Regin going when he was moved to the top line. Spezza was on fire and Alfi was Alfi, I wont deny that, Spezza had a huge part in Regin gaining that confidence and carrying it into the playoffs, hell, I would go as far to say Spezza and Alfi are the reason Regin had a great playoff.

Now, that being said, Regin carried the play in the playoffs. He was hitting, he was taking hits, he was getting in the dirty area's, he was the one back checking, and he was the one who was actually scoring. Regin's play didnt fall off once and if you think the reason is he is a rookie and went un-noitced, I can actually buy into that, but that may very well be the reason why he was the best player on that line. Even strength, Spezza wasnt at Regin's level in the playoffs.

Agree to disagree, but I'm not one to hop on rookie bandwagon's as quickly as others which could be part of it. I know I'm not as high on Karlsson/Regin's play this year as other's are. (That being said their future potential is incredible).

We actually -- none of us -- have any idea what Spezza would have done if he had an abdominal muscle tear. We also know -- all of us -- that Alfie is not human when it comes to healing and enduring. I *do* wish, however, that Alfie had taken the last couple-three games of the regular season off. It's amazing what your body can do in a week, especially Alfie's body.

Im not as high on Regin, I think he tops out as a 2nd line center on a good team. Karlsson, kid will be a star. What he does on the ice isnt anything short of amazing. A 19 year old kid controlling the play like he does with the tallent he has, just a matter of time before he is one of the leagues best.

If he was just getting shots through or guys were helping him out a ton, I would be a little more reserved but watching him play live since he played his first game on North American soil, its clear how smart he is and that's whats going to make him a star.

N4L wrote:Im not as high on Regin, I think he tops out as a 2nd line center on a good team. Karlsson, kid will be a star. What he does on the ice isnt anything short of amazing. A 19 year old kid controlling the play like he does with the tallent he has, just a matter of time before he is one of the leagues best.

If he was just getting shots through or guys were helping him out a ton, I would be a little more reserved but watching him play live since he played his first game on North American soil, its clear how smart he is and that's whats going to make him a star.

Agreed, Karlsson has the IT factor. I am high on Regin, mostly due to his hockey intelligence. He also looks very smooth in everything he does, I think he becomes a really solid number 2 centreman or maybe even an Andy MacDonald type number 1 guy.

im all for trying out regin as a second line center next year while we try fisher to the third.

i also agree with N4L in saying if there is a good deal out there for spezza we have to look at it. i'm especially partial to getting one done with the bluejackets or atlanta. brassard and filatov have to be coming back the other way with their 1st then we'll give them ours and spezza with lee.

it's gets a little more complicated with atlanta, i don't think we could get kane but if we could with their 1st... off and away.

the part that sticks with me the most is how much of a Wing Dang Doodle that NTC will be after july 1. spezza's had a few years now where he's been on the slide. i like how he's played in that last part of the season but it might not be enough. if a deal feels good, pull it.

as for trading with florida..., nothing there that ain't broken. so that's a no