Since at least January of this year, the general theme in this area has been that the Ottawa Senators and Jason Spezza would likely part ways prior to the expiry of his current contract. Since the passing of the trade deadline, which included the most stunning non-endorsement of a player in hockey history, a trade has seemed inevitable.
This past weekend was full of national hockey insiders bringing their latest and greatest Jason Spezza trade updates. Nick Kypreos said Spezza's days were "definitely over". Bob McKenzie implied that the exit interviews were the decisive moment in the determination of Jason Spezza's future. Darren Dreger said Jason Spezza's ready to embrace change, and that he's likely headed to a Western Conference team.
It's nothing we don't already know, but the confirmations -- I think -- are pretty telling.
I do think something's getting a bit lost in the Jason Spezza trade discussion, though. A lot of time has been exhausted on the front office preparing to move on from the player. Other than perhaps Bryan Murray, you never really got the sense that important people in the hockey operations department fawned over Jason Spezza's game. Most notably, his own coach. In one breath, Paul MacLean can say Jason Spezza's a "very important player", then suggest the many, many-year veteran and captain of the hockey team "needs to change his game". It's kind of incredible, to be honest.
You also get the sense that ownership's not enamored with the player, and perhaps he's not fully in the wrong here. I've made this point ad infinitum by now, but it's kind of a mug's game to think you'll be the team that finds the magical recipe when it comes to extending 30+ guys on long-term, high-dollar deals. Far more often than not, those deals are poisonous. And, it's doubly true when you're talking about a guy with a brutal, concerted injury history in one troubling area.
But, there's also the budget. The good ole' budget. We know it's already been set at $56MM for next season, but you can easily foresee a situation where this team clocks in lower. Even though Jason Spezza's on a salary-friendly deal (i.e., his cap hit far exceeds actual dollars paid), they're still giving him $4MM in NHL salary next year. If you're talking about a trade where the primary target(s) are futures, there's a good chance the Ottawa Senators can save money. In Ottawa, that's usually what it's all about.
When the team decided to retain Paul MacLean at the end of the season -- it's again worth noting that Paul MacLean's job was absolutely in jeopardy -- it signaled the end for Jason Spezza.
Long before those exit interviews with the players and the discussion of Paul MacLean's future, Jason Spezza had made it clear to the team that he wanted out of the organization, too. This is something that I've written about in the past, though I will defer in part to SensChirp on this particular matter. If the timeline running in my brain is correct, I believe he was the first to put it in print.
And that is probably the most important takeaway in all of this. So much time and energy will be spent on the front office side of this equation, and probably not enough on the player side. This isn't an instance where a player underperformed and the team decided to move on, contrary to the player's desires. This is a rare occasion where the split was and is mutual -- in fact, it's entirely possible that Jason Spezza wanting out of Ottawa was the impetus behind the front office looking to move him before the draft.
There are myriad reasons why a trade makes sense for both sides, but I think the concerning thing here regardless is that another captain -- the second in as many years -- has had, in some respect, a negative experience. Last year, it was enough to basically dust-off of a legacy built in a city to sign with another quality hockey team in Detroit. This year, it's in the form of a trade request -- one that is virtually guaranteed to be fulfilled in the next month or so. You kind of worry that this could become a trend.
Either way, don't waste a tear for Jason Spezza. He's getting what he wants, and that's to be removed from the organization. And the team's getting what they want -- moving a veteran player for cheaper, younger talent.
And one more point: Ottawa, unless they decide to go with a 'no captain' approach next season, will have their third in as many years. In the event it will be awarded, there's a decent chance it could go to a replacement-level player like Chris Neil or Chris Phillips, who will almost certainly be out of the league in two years. And then, another captain.
My money's still on St. Louis on the most likely landing spot, but Anaheim becomes an interesting #2 (or, #1B), depending on what happens this post-season.