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UPDATE(2:00 PM ET): As per ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, the Ottawa Senators have acquired Kyle Turris in exchange for prospect David Rundblad and a second-round pick.
The mercurial talent from the Phoenix Coyotes has been a highly-touted prospect ever since hitting the National Hockey League third-overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Unfortunately, his game to date hasn't panned out with Phoenix, as he's scored just 46 PTS (19G/27A) in 137 GP over four seasons with the Coyotes.
There's no question that the Ottawa front office thinks they can turn around what many expected to be a bright career from Kyle Turris, hence the move. Turris had a falling out with the brass in Phoenix over the summer, and apparently his desire to be moved did not fall on deaf ears.
Much more on this later, but my early analysis is that Turris better be ready to perform at a high level - like, now. Ottawa gave up a fairly sizable haul for his services, and I'm surprised the front office was so quick to move Rundblad in a deal.
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UPDATE(2:30 PM ET): Apparently, the rumor of Nikita Filatov heading back to Binghamton for an AHL stint is a bit off. Filatov's paperwork had to be handled 'officially' assigning him, but he's not headed there to play.
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In the twenty-year lifespan of the Ottawa Senators, few players could rival the level of criticism bestowed on the former second-overall pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Through all of the trials and tribulations of Jason Spezza's career, the only thing that's been constant is the eye of scrutiny carefully watching his game night-in and night-out.
Perhaps it's amusing, then, that another comparably criticized player - Phil Kessel - remains his most direct competitor for an award race that neither could've ever imagined they'd participate in this season. With Claude Giroux (39P) unforuntately sidelined indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms, the NHL's new pacesetters include Kessel(37P) and Spezza(36P), with Stamkos(35P), Sedin(35P), and Toews(35P) right on their tail.
A quick glance at the aforementioned, and you realize just what kind of company Jason Spezza's in. His twelve-goal, twenty-four assist campaign has put him in the ranks with the NHL's elite, but even the most objective observer has to admit that this run is probably the most impressive of all.
See, the Ottawa Senators were projected to finish dead last by - well, everyone. And, many experts, writers, and fans cited the same reason for their forecasted demise - a stunning lack of offense thanks to the incredibly-diminished forward ranks during the rebuilding season.
In fact, the only constant up-top appeared to be Jason Spezza. His wingers left little to be desired. Milan Michalek was a real talent, but always a question mark regarding his health
(he's recently been sidelined with what many are reporting as a minor concussion). Daniel Alfredsson's game has aged, and guys like Bobby Butler, Colin Greening, and Nick Foligno simply didn't offer enough to score with consistency.
Behind Spezza, none of that has mattered. See, for all of the mistakes Spezza can make in the offensive zone -
trust me, that's a ton - he remains one of the most gifted playmakers in the game. When the puck is on his stick, things happen; for better, or for worse. This season, Spezza's tremendously cleaned up his game, and as such, his point-total has skyrocketed.
Just take a look at the standings, folks. The Ottawa Senators are 15-14-3, an absurdly respectable record considering the dearth of talent in key spots. How are they doing it? Certainly not with the league's worst defense/goaltending combination, which is currently allowing 3.5 GPG.
No, their offense runs this team - period. Currently, Ottawa has the seventh-best attack in the league, and that's even after a power-play has tremendously cooled off following the lost of key components in Sergei Gonchar and Milan Michalek. 3.0 goals per game - who could've imagined?
Perhaps the biggest positive emerging from this run is that Jason Spezza's found a new confidence in his game - one that might not dissipate randomly. Spezza's always had issues with consistency(sound familar, Toronto?), but lately he's been a less erratic, more dependable offensive threat. If Paul MacLean and the coaching staff can marginalize Jason Spezza's usual lows, he'll continue to score at an alarming pace.
Few in the NHL - including those in Ottawa - will give Jason Spezza a chance in the point-scoring race, and for good reason. Ottawa's offense has simply been
too good to start the year, and Spezza's due for his usual mid-season slump.
Still, the fact that we're seriously discussing this as the regular season nears the halfway mark is a real testament to Spezza as a player.
Respect, #19.
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