Just a quick update here but something that could have an impact on the ongoing/upcoming Jason Spezza sweepstakes.
We know a number of teams have interest in the Senators’ Captain but the question about whether or not teams see him as a long term option is an interesting one. You could argue that if another team is willing to give up assets for him and make the cap space, they see him as a long term option. But at the same time, you’d have to think the issues that have caused Ottawa fans to balk at the idea of a long term extension for Spezza would be of concern to other teams interested in trading for him this off season.
And then this interesting bit of news- that maybe Spezza isn’t automatically willing to commit long term to a new team just yet. That he would rather go somewhere, try it out, and then make a decision about committing beyond next season.
It just makes sense really and I suspect could dramatically impact the potential return for Spezza this off season. Spezza has played his entire career for one team and may want to have a better feel for his new home before making a decision on signing an extension. In a recent radio interview, Elliott Friedman suggested that the Senators may allow Spezza to talk to teams prior to a deal.
If they are dealing a long term top line centre, the Senators can command a premium but if teams just see him as a one year rental? The price is likely to decline significantly.
-Lots of interesting bits of information in a radio interview with Pierre Dorion today including details of the ongoing negotiations with key restricted free agents in Stephane Da Costa and Robin Lehner. As mentioned late last week, Da Costa has an offer on the table from a team in the KHL but has also talked to the Senators about a new deal. Dorion also mentioned that the team has had discussions with UFA’s in Michalek and Hemsky but that they have to be willing to accept where they fit in with the team’s budget realities. You can listen to the full interview here.
