If you've been reading this space for -- I don't know, three months now -- you're likely aware that Jason Spezza's going to be traded. It's a thing Ottawa wants, though they won't say it publicly. It's a thing Jason Spezza wants, too. Up until today, that was sort of being kept under wraps.
Well, Bryan Murray decided to open up about that on Wednesday afternoon, confirming the above:
At GM meetings, Bryan Murray confirms Jason Spezza has "requested we give him a chance to go elsewhere." More later.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 11, 2014Murray says a couple teams have shown serious interest. OTT's preference is to "send him somewhere we don't have to play him every night."
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 11, 2014And this:
Murray told me Spezza wants out because he's blamed too often when the club doesn't win. #Sens
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) June 11, 2014In all seriousness, I hope Jason Spezza doesn't get killed for this.
I'm not really sure how you can blame Jason Spezza for wanting to head somewhere else. The organization's kind of a mess right now, the team's more concerned with spending less than they are with winning, and Spezza's become a scapegoat (again) for the team's collective troubles.
That said, I understand Ottawa's position here to some degree. As I've exhausted beyond belief the last few months, moving Jason Spezza makes long-term sense, though I anticipate the team's going to get dinged in the short-term. Even if you believe Jason Spezza still has a few good seasons left under his belt, it's extremely risky to bet long-term on a guy with the kind of injury history he has.
So, away we go. Officially. Oh, by the way, Dallas may be a newly interested party, per Mike Heika. Seguin/Spezza? That's a pretty good duo down the middle.
And in totally unrelated news, Ottawa's owner is selling all of his horses/out of the business.