There is a lot of discussion regarding what you get with Spezza, why Ottawa might move Spezza.
Ill throw my 2 cents in.
1. What you get.
Might be best by starting with what you dont get. You dont get 1st half of last year Spezza.
First half of last year Spezza was responsible for most of his -26, his poor skating, and general awfulness. (we got that, you get the benefit of his rehab being on us.)
What i believe you will get is a human highlight reel of an offensive player, like he was before he missed last season, and like he was the last half of this year. He WILL pile up points.
You WILL get a guy who is average defensively (he is NOT the abomination he has now been made out to be)
You WILL also get a guy who significantly ups his defensive effort in the playoffs, while still putting up his offensive numbers.
So yes there is some pacing to his game during the regular season.
You WILL get a guy who will make any and every winger he plays with better. Want to play him with your best wingers? he will drive the line and make them better than you ever thought they were.
want to play him with 2nd and 3rd line talents - you'll end up overpaying those wingers after they have career years.
Spezza is a game changing player, he will score highlight reel goals, and he will beat goalies clean from a distance with absolute laser of a shot.
He will make plays out of nothing and retain offensive zone possession.
He will break you through the neutral zone and gain offensive zone possession.
2. So why is Ottawa possibly trading the most talented player outside of maybe Karlsson they've ever had?
Its not a simple answer but it goes back a long way. Early on Spezza while being an offensive wizard did have a tendency to do things like no look drop passes at the blue line that sometimes wouldnt work out, or at the wrong time of the game.
a hardcore component of fans never EVER let it go, so the narrative of Jason Spezza began in Ottawa.
Even as he improved that aspect of his game, became much more diligent about the when's and where's - the people who are never happy unless a guy plays like Mike Fisher never changed while Spezza changed and grew up.
Spezza has been a great teammate, a good organization guy and he has taken more abuse in Ottawa for those perceived shortcomings than any other player we've ever had.
Even 2 years ago when he had the best season of his career, the same group of people, some newspaper, some fans just couldnt seem to be happy with his success.
Its really quite sad.
IMO from Spezza's point of view why would he want to stay at this point? The fans dont appreciate him. He gets used as a scapegoat, and he has an opportunity to move to a contender - something Ottawa wont be for awhile and to a team that will spend to get/keep great players.
From Ottawa management point of view, we are deep at center and can use him to shore up weaker areas, he can be moved with a riot starting because of the way fans have viewed him. (believe me its a vocal minority that want him moved) the majority do not want to see him traded since he will never be replaced.
We are a budget team and the owner doesnt/cant spend. in the end this is the single biggest reason he will be moved.
There is some risk with his longterm back health i suppose but he played 75 games this year, played 80 2 years ago.
Anyway this has gotten far too long. Suffice it to say whoever picks up Jason Spezza will be stealing him at a discount bin rate for a truly great hockey player.
Aside from the stats, he really is one of the few guys you would pay to see play the game. he's a joy to watch.
For sure wherever he goes i cant wait for him to light it up, for his new fans who dont carry the baggage to have their jaw drop on a semi regular basis when they realize what they have stolen from us.