i wouldn't do spezza for sharp straight up, let alone add pieces from ottawa's end.

ottawa wants to get rid of spezza, mostly cuz he's aging and really expensive......so why turn around and bring in a guy who's even older, and in terms of real dollars, more expensive.........it makes no sense. ottawa is looking for young pieces to fit into their core, not old guys who'll be useless by the time ottawa is ready to make a run.

Great move Sather! Now you can now use that money you saved to sign Ville Leino to a 7 year $50M contract.

I find interesting these two facts:

Spezza as Captain of the Sens is viewed as the cause for many losses by Sens fans forcing him to want to leave town.

Spezza as a trade chip for the Sens is the best player available and should require a great deal in exchange to get him.

Just interesting, that is all.
- bluenoter

which sens fan said spezza was the cause of many losses.......i would say 99% of sens fans know, and have stated that we lost because our D played like poop, and our goalies were inconsistent.

the media likes to blame spezza, which is where most of the criticism comes from. they do it because it's a much more sensational headline than saying anderson didn't play well, or cowen looked like a pylon.

ottawa is moving spezza because he's aging (will be long past his prime when ottawa is ready to make a run), is gonna want a long term extension, and ottawa has lots of youth down the middle that they want to give games to.

I find interesting these two facts:

Spezza as Captain of the Sens is viewed as the cause for many losses by Sens fans forcing him to want to leave town.

Spezza as a trade chip for the Sens is the best player available and should require a great deal in exchange to get him.

Just interesting, that is all.
- bluenoter

Spezza is one dimensional player. He is old and could put up solid points as second line center but for the price and expiring contract you a better to go after either statsny or O'reliy because they cant keep both.

Col. needs defense bad. I think they a leaning towards keeping statsny

So col. gets Dion Phaneuf

Tor. get O'Reily.

Works out for both teams and Toronto gets top line center for years to come.

Spezza is one dimensional player. He is old and could put up solid points as second line center but for the price and expiring contract you a better to go after either statsny or O'reliy because they cant keep both.

Col. needs defense bad. I think they a leaning towards keeping statsny

So col. gets Dion Phaneuf

Tor. get O'Reily.

Works out for both teams and Toronto gets top line center for years to come.
- hanleyaj

If they can't afford ROR, I doubt they can afford Phaneuf.

A leafs fan trash talking another team?

The leafs are as much of a mess as the sens are right now.

In addition, I think the leafs take the cake in signing odd mediocre free agents. How has Clarkson been treating you as of lately? Oh ya, not so well. I hope you enjoy him for the next 6 years.
- ctlbue796

He was the most sought after free agent last year. .He is a character guy and judging him after only one year is pretty ignorant we are paying him 5 mil...oooooh big deal, botch about something important will ya

If they can't afford ROR, I doubt they can afford Phaneuf.
- burner087

No they have plenty of money but they have so many top line centers with Statsny, Duchene and Mckinnon they dont need four for the price they would have to pay. THey are better off spending it on a defense.

I think the sabres should go for him starting with ehroff and the 31st pick and see what else it would take.

Let these morons think whatever they want to. Spezza is way better than Sharp offensively. Defensively is a different subject.
- TheCalSen

Way better?? Since 2008/09 Sharp has 348pts, Spezza has 367pts. Sharp scored 158goals over that time, Spezza scored 135goals.

Sharp is 2years younger. Better defensively, and is under contract for a few more years...

So yes, trade would definitely be Spezza+ for Sharp.

He was the most sought after free agent last year. .He is a character guy and judging him after only one year is pretty ignorant we are paying him 5 mil...oooooh big deal, botch about something important will ya
- Daddichronic

Stop sugar coating it, we all know it was a horrible signing.

Way better?? Since 2008/09 Sharp has 348pts, Spezza has 367pts. Sharp scored 158goals over that time, Spezza scored 135goals.

Sharp is 2years younger. Better defensively, and is under contract for a few more years...

So yes, trade would definitely be Spezza+ for Sharp.
- BoBBeR56

Why would Sharp ever waive his NMC clause to go from the Hawks to the Sens?
All these "rumors" regarding players with NMCs and NTCs are pure garbage.

The way I read this was that the trade would only be completed if the conditional pick is included and he signs with you (it would fit Spezza's goals of playing for a winning team and not being the face of a franchise). I never said the trade was unfair (far from it, just responding to a Leaf fan who was trying to undersell Spezza), but the components outside of Spezza and Sharp would need to change a bit for the trade to work while not crippling the future of our farm system in 2-3 years. Maybe we throw in Greening and a prospect instead of the picks and CHI adds another piece like Versteeg.

Was also wondering how fans have rated Roszival in Chicago. Would he be a trade piece to negotiate with?
- ahjnkn

Rosival was great in the 2013 Cup run...he lost a step this past year and was a liability on the 3rd pair in the playoffs this year. I would love Greening as part of the deal bc he is a physical depth guy with some talent. Plus the Hawks have plenty of picks in this draft anyway so IDK if Stan would be adamant about getting picks back..

Great move Sather! Now you can now use that money you saved to sign Ville Leino to a 7 year $50M contract.
- Crushers68

I was just ripping Sather in the Rangers blog! he's like a kid in NHL14 with his superstar trades and overpaid UFAs

Way better?? Since 2008/09 Sharp has 348pts, Spezza has 367pts. Sharp scored 158goals over that time, Spezza scored 135goals.

Sharp is 2years younger. Better defensively, and is under contract for a few more years...

So yes, trade would definitely be Spezza+ for Sharp.
- BoBBeR56

Sharp has been playing with kane, toews and hossa. which alot better then what spezza has been dealing with. Also chicago averaged about 40 to 50 goals more a season the ottawa did. Sharp is good but not in offensive class of spezza when he is on his game. If Sharp played on Ottawa he wouldnt have half the points spezza did. Spezza is also more of passer then goal scorer which is why he doesnt have as many goals. Also it is easy to sore when kane and toews pass u the puck.

I was just ripping Sather in the Rangers blog! he's like a kid in NHL14 with his superstar trades and overpaid UFAs
- EnzoD

He is like a child playing nhl 14 for sure

Anahiem is not going to let Chicago have Spezza. Everything is about Ottawa wanting their #1 pick (10) back and Anahiem trying to get them to take their very late pick. All Chicago does by getting involved is push up the price on Spezza. But, in the end it is Anahiem's deal.
- spatso

Just my spidey sense, which has been wrong before, but the tea leaves are telling me watch Vancouver and Kesler to Chicago. For some reason, great source told me a few hours ago VAN for some reason came back to the table today after the Hawks shut it down for them demanding Saad. So maybe Teravainen gets it done and Kesler has Chicago on his list. Dunno. For some reason, though, I agree, I'm not as confident in the Spezza rumor. And THAT could be what brought Benning back. Personally, i think Bowman is willing to put some pretty nice chips down: Teravainen, Leddy, maybe Sharp. Though not Saad.

So I made one typo, and that's the part you pick apart eh?
- BoBBeR56

a typo? pretty sure the fact that you thought spezza was older was a big part of your argument........nice try though.

Just my spidey sense, which has been wrong before, but the tea leaves are telling me watch Vancouver and Kesler to Chicago. For some reason, great source told me a few hours ago VAN for some reason came back to the table today after the Hawks shut it down for them demanding Saad. So maybe Teravainen gets it done and Kesler has Chicago on his list. Dunno. For some reason, though, I agree, I'm not as confident in the Spezza rumor. And THAT could be what brought Benning back. Personally, i think Bowman is willing to put some pretty nice chips down: Teravainen, Leddy, maybe Sharp. Though not Saad.
- John Jaeckel

teuvo and chi's 1st for kesler......good deal for both teams

To people saying Sharp wouldn't trade his NTC:

No one actually knows the details of the NTC, but it's assumed to be limited. And if it was, say, a list-ten-teams-you-won't-go-to sort of thing, it's unlikely Ottawa's one of the ten.

teuvo and chi's 1st for kesler......good deal for both teams
- sensarmy_11

if it was that easy the deal wouldve been done already...Vancouver wants more...

My you cant even post window licking anymore... FFS this world allows murders and perverts to run around free but we should not view a movie scene with window licking...

To people saying Sharp wouldn't trade his NTC:

No one actually knows the details of the NTC, but it's assumed to be limited. And if it was, say, a list-ten-teams-you-won't-go-to sort of thing, it's unlikely Ottawa's one of the ten.
- amanicom

it's a non-issue. why would ottawa even want sharp? and that's not a knock on him as a player, but he's the complete opposite of what murray has said numerous times that he wants.

murray has said they want a young top six, who's on an ELC or bridge deal, who plays with a physical edge.

sharp is an older, expensive guy, who probably plays with less edge to his game then spezza does. he's a great player, and in terms of value i think the trade makes sense.....but ottawa doesn't need sharp.

if it was that easy the deal wouldve been done already...Vancouver wants more...
- EnzoD

swap the 1st with leddy.....dont' think kesler is worth more than that.

My you cant even post window licking anymore... FFS this world allows murders and perverts to run around free but we should not view a movie scene with window licking...
- saskoil21

it was perfectly justified too, given the post i was replying to.

swap the 1st with leddy.....dont' think kesler is worth more than that.
- sensarmy_11

done. and nobody thinks kesler is worth more than that except the canuckleheads front office and their fans

How so?
Aren't the players supposed to be responsible for their level of play as well?
- StargateSG1

It's not a big mystery that EVERY player elite or not will in fact decline over the course of their careers at some point.

Players get old, there's no way around that, some might not delcine as fast as others, but there's the rub, you don't know when or how fast it will happen.

History has shown us that if an owner wants a player bad enough, he's willing to over pay to get him and that IS and SHOULD ALWAYS be on the owner.

The owners are the reason these guys are getting $6, 7 and 8+ million per year so IMO, they should be stuck paying guaranteed contracts if they're greedy enough to make sure they outbid everyone and over pay for these guys that inevitably can't play up to the level of expectaions that come along with a long pricey contract.

If the owners are allowed to start voiding contracts at their leisure, you'll have players holding out for guaranteed money anyway so there's really no point. Plus you'll see owners signing players to exorbitant deals that they never intend to pay. They'll get what they want for the short term than cut the player when they don't need him anymore or to make cap room or when his level of play drops off.