Would you move Staal for Spezza?

[SlapshotTheMovie]

All Ottawa has to do is eat 50% and Spezza is only 3.500 CAP HIT.
Plus they would only be eating up 2.000 in actual salary, which suits their budget.

That's the only reason I suggested anything at all.

Find me an example of any team not in a video game doing this with someone that has more then a year left on the contract. I am not saying its never happened but i don't know about it in any recent times.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

No Spezza, Thornton, Marleau, E. Staal, H. Sedin or any-friggin'-one else who will be 30+ years of age at the beginning of next season.

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

Also doesn't spezza only have two years left?

So he plays one season then wants a raise or he is gone and we are back in the boat we are in now. Spezza is a high risk low reward short term "solution" Thorton might fail but with less of a cap hit and a bigger upside of success we have a lot more to work with. Yes Thorton has been known to choke in the playoffs. Its hard being "the guy" but soon as Gabby was taken out of that role look what he did. With Big Joe Nash and MSL we have more then enough front end talent to get something going.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Frankly there is enough talent here to "get Nash going" withough giving up major assets for a 6.75M, 34 y/o Thornton who - fair or not - also has earned a rep as a playoff choker.

Going in more on "helping Nash" would be incredibly foolish. Nash has the power to reverse the trend. And if the problem is mental issues or concussion issues and he can't turn it around...no further investment will fix that.

Thornton turns 35 next month. His playoff stats aren't as appalling as his reputation would suggest. Still, I want no part of him.

 

[Killem Dafoe]

Trade Staal for Spezza? 1 for 1? Yes I would, for sure.

Honestly, I would take Thornton or Spezza over Richards or any C available at UFA.

 

[SlapshotTheMovie]

Thronton has almost an identical cap hit as Richards for less years and with better numbers. We would be losing one cap hit with another but the difference is Big Joe will never play on the 4rth line unless he is being double shift because of an in game injury/game misconduct.

 

[satrabyk]

No no no

 

[aufheben]

Trade Staal for Spezza? 1 for 1? Yes I would, for sure.

Honestly, I would take Thornton or Spezza over Richards or any C available at UFA.

I think I'd trade Staal for Spezza. I mean, I'm a little wary, because Richards was the same age when we signed him, but, eh Idk...

 

[Tawnos]

There's a notable lack of outcry in this thread over someone who demanded a trade.

I'm never one of those people, since I believe in a player's right to do what's best for himself. It's just something I noticed.

 

[Pugs35]

There's a notable lack of outcry in this thread over someone who demanded a trade.

I'm never one of those people, since I believe in a player's right to do what's best for himself. It's just something I noticed.

True, but there's also a notable lack of logic and apparently no ability to learn from our (many) past mistakes.

If there is anyone who would be the next Gomez, Drury, Redden and Richards, it's Jason Spezza. How could this not be obvious?

 

[SA16]

True, but there's also a notable lack of logic and apparently no ability to learn from our (many) past mistakes.

If there is anyone who would be the next Gomez, Drury, Redden and Richards, it's Jason Spezza. How could this not be obvious?

Because there really is no logic behind why Spezza would come here and fail other than "other players we've brought in before at age 31 or so have"

 

[Fataldogg]

In a HEART BEAT.

Spezza oozes talent. He had a terrible season, and still put up 66 points in 75 games.

People forget that in 2012 he had 84 points and finished top-5 in the NHL in points.

On a bad year, Spezza is good for top-30 in points in the NHL. On a good year, he is good for top-10 in points in the NHL. Players like him don't grow on trees. In terms of pure offensive talent there aren't many players better than him. He's also fantastic in the face off dot (which we need). And he's proven he can do it without much talent around him (when Spezza finished with 84 points he was playing with a lot of different wingers, none of which you could really pencil into legitimate first line winger, mostly borderline 2nd line wingers / 3rd liners).

And he is only 31 years old. He still has a handful of prime years left in him.

Only thing that always concerns me with Spezza is his health. It's very hit and miss. But, to be fair, Staal has plenty of health issues over the years too.

If we could swap Staal for Spezza straight up, Sather would be a fool not to do it. Spezza/Stepan/Brassard is actually GOOD center depth. We'd finally have an elite producing center.

It would take more than Staal to get Spezza though. I just wonder how much more.

 

[aufheben]

In a HEART BEAT.

Spezza oozes talent. He had a terrible season, and still put up 66 points in 75 games.

People forget that in 2012 he had 84 points and finished top-5 in the NHL in points.

On a bad year, Spezza is good for top-30 in points in the NHL. On a good year, he is good for top-10 in points in the NHL. Players like him don't grow on trees. In terms of pure offensive talent there aren't many players better than him. He's also fantastic in the face off dot (which we need). And he's proven he can do it without much talent around him (when Spezza finished with 84 points he was playing with a lot of different wingers, none of which you could really pencil into legitimate first line winger, mostly borderline 2nd line wingers / 3rd liners).

And he is only 31 years old. He still has a handful of prime years left in him.

Only thing that always concerns me with Spezza is his health. It's very hit and miss. But, to be fair, Staal has plenty of health issues over the years too.

If we could swap Staal for Spezza straight up, Sather would be a fool not to do it. Spezza/Stepan/Brassard is actually GOOD center depth. We'd finally have an elite producing center.

It would take more than Staal to get Spezza though. I just wonder how much more.

Idk, I went by the Sens board the other day and the majority were down for a Staal/Spezza swap. Both Staal & Spezza will be up for contracts next offseason, Spezza already makes $7M.

 

[Zil]

And he is only 31 years old. He still has a handful of prime years left in him.

Where have I heard that one before?

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articl...5-million-contract-with-New-York-Rangers.html

Oh, right.

 

[theFiGS]

Why did you add to the deal? I'd be comfortable with staal for spezza MAYBE but adding brassard is a no IMO, if brassard can become our 2C that means we need to explore trading Stepan + for a 1C and have miller become the 3C but I wouldn't mind signing stastny having step play 2C brass at 3C and trading staal for bobby Ryan to fill our first line LW need.

Ryan Stastny stlouis
Kreider Stepan Nash
Pouliot brassard Zucc
Miller Moore Boyle
Carcillo

 

[eco's bones]

In a HEART BEAT.

Spezza oozes talent. He had a terrible season, and still put up 66 points in 75 games.

People forget that in 2012 he had 84 points and finished top-5 in the NHL in points.

On a bad year, Spezza is good for top-30 in points in the NHL. On a good year, he is good for top-10 in points in the NHL. Players like him don't grow on trees. In terms of pure offensive talent there aren't many players better than him. He's also fantastic in the face off dot (which we need). And he's proven he can do it without much talent around him (when Spezza finished with 84 points he was playing with a lot of different wingers, none of which you could really pencil into legitimate first line winger, mostly borderline 2nd line wingers / 3rd liners).

And he is only 31 years old. He still has a handful of prime years left in him.

Only thing that always concerns me with Spezza is his health. It's very hit and miss. But, to be fair, Staal has plenty of health issues over the years too.

If we could swap Staal for Spezza straight up, Sather would be a fool not to do it. Spezza/Stepan/Brassard is actually GOOD center depth. We'd finally have an elite producing center.

It would take more than Staal to get Spezza though. I just wonder how much more.

Between saying he had a terrible year last year and then pointing out his age and his health issues I have to wonder if you didn't make enough points in your post to not trade for him. I wouldn't compare Staal's injuries to Spezza's. Staal is a few years younger and that eye injury was a freak--it's not the wear and tear kind of injury that happens to a player as he gets older.

In any case I see no good reason for the Rangers to go older. If they feel the need to move Staal I think it would be a lot wiser to go for someone younger. Names that have been mentioned--ROR and Pavelski are a lot more interesting to me than Spezza or Jumbo Joe. In moving Staal though we are going to take a big hit to our defense corps. The Rangers made it through 3 series this year largely because we had a better defense than at least most everybody else in the East. Moving Staal and losing Stralman which seems fairly likely as well is going to hurt our defense a lot--IMO.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Ugh. No.

Rangers need to be very careful with Staal. Its enticing to dangle him in a trade, but then you've got John Moore playing top 4 D-minutes.

I'll take the gaping hole at center over that pending disaster.

 

[pld459666]

The Rangers play at a fast pace. Part of the reason Richards struggled in the post season was because he cannot keep up with the play in addition to his skills not being able to accomplish what his vision sees.

Spezza, for all his talent, is, was and never will be a much better skater than Richards is now.

I think he is still a better top line center than Stepan is, just not sure how long that is going to last as his foot speed continues to fade.

I would be willing to do Staal for Spezza with Sens eating 1.55 million so that out of pocket cost is even.

Rangers get the better player, Sens get the younger player both teams pay 5.45 mil