Confirmed with Link: Spezza requests trade

[ChocolateLeclaire]

Commitment to spending money or a commitment to Spezza?

This.

I'm not happy the team is spending money. But I also don't want that money to be spent retaining Spezza.

He's a talented player, but his lack of commitment to two-way play, imo, means you'll never win a Cup with him as your #1 centre.

Just look at the new champs. Look at the way every one of their centre's committed to both ends of the ice. Spezza would never do that.

I'd rather our team win games 2-1 than lose them 5-4.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Listening to the interviews post-cup, how many times did you hear the words "character" and "leadership"?

I'd suggest maybe Jason wants someone to win for him, rather than be counted on to do the heavy lifting.

Boom. Shots fired. Well said.

How are we supposed to feel sympathy for a guy who tells his GM he wants help when he was the worst forward on the team(relative to his role) for the first half of the season? Heck, he was bottom of the league in categories you'd want him to excel in.

If Spezza played like he did in the last 3rd of the season, which was ok and not the Spezza we know, then I'd understand his frustration but to play like he did this year then want sympathy from us cause we didn't insulate his glaring weaknesses?(especially at the center position). I'm good, bruh.

Don't get me wrong, Spezza has some truth to his words. You can't win without bringing in assets. Hemsky with Spezza looked very good. However, how big of assets do we have to bring in to insulate Spezza in the playoffs? Even at his best, Spezza goes missing when it counts. Are the assets supposed to pick up the slack for him too?

If we had 2 excellent defensively responsible wingers who also play with tremendous grit, then keep Spezza. Otherwise, what's the point.

If I'm Murray and I'm thinking I need to bring in those 2 assets to make the job easier for Spezza, I start questioning who's the more important asset.

Add to the fact that Spezza is not getting younger and we aren't contending now makes the decision to move him easy.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Spezza is absolutely clutch in the playoffs

He's not the kind of guy to take over a game but he's pretty damn solid

I love how he doesn't win series by himself (who does anyway?) is a failing of his

He's pretty much PPG in the playoffs, how the hell does one disappear when it counts when's he usually getting a point every single game?!

 

[Ice-Tray]

Boom. Shots fired. Well said.

How are we supposed to feel sympathy for a guy who tells his GM he wants help when he was the worst forward on the team(relative to his role) for the first half of the season? Heck, he was bottom of the league in categories you'd want him to excel in.

If Spezza played like he did in the last 3rd of the season, which was ok and not the Spezza we know, then I'd understand his frustration but to play like he did this year then want sympathy from us cause we didn't insulate his glaring weaknesses?(especially at the center position). I'm good, bruh.

Don't get me wrong, Spezza has some truth to his words. You can't win without bringing in assets. Hemsky with Spezza looked very good. However, how big of assets do we have to bring in to insulate Spezza in the playoffs? Even at his best, Spezza goes missing when it counts. Are the assets supposed to pick up the slack for him too?

If we had 2 excellent defensively responsible wingers who also play with tremendous grit, then keep Spezza. Otherwise, what's the point.

If I'm Murray and I'm thinking I need to bring in those 2 assets to make the job easier for Spezza, I start questioning who's the more important asset.

Add to the fact that Spezza is not getting younger and we aren't contending now makes the decision to move him easy.

[mod]
1 - He's had ONE bad half season, returning from a full season missed due to surgery.

2 - He's is a solid playoff performer, you must have just started watching hockey I guess...

3 - Your posts concerning Spezza lately are about as craptastic as the come, like blahblahblah territory. What the heck has happened to you?

Oh Jesus... It would be foolish to think that Spezza cares the slightest for your sympathies or opinions. Professional athletes understand that fans are kings of the couch, and that their opinions are about as useless and faulty as they come. Doesn't stop us from bickering and bantering, but lets be real here, the players could care less about how you feel.

In the end it seems that the team has made it clear that we are not going to spend to bring in assets to compete at this time, so Spezza informs Murray that he is not going to re-sign, no point in bearing the brunt of the team's losses when there is no focus on icing a contending lineup. PRESTO, Murray must now trade him before he leaves to get assets, and Spezza accommodates this by saying that he'd "look favourably on a trade". Makes the most sense of all the stuff coming out, and really doesn't tarnish Murray or Spezza, it is what it is. Isn't this why Alfie left too, or does Spezza have to slog away for this team for another decade before he has earned the right play somewhere better? I know what my choice would be, and yours.

Case closed.

 

[Karl Cowensson]

Short term we are a worse team without Spezza. But I have to agree with the sentiment that if we need to bring in 2 wingers to complement him, its probably better for everyone involved to get a trade done and get the 1st, top 6 forward and blue chip prospect in a trade. Sucks but its officially the end of an era.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Short term we are a worse team without Spezza. But I have to agree with the sentiment that if we need to bring in 2 wingers to complement him, its probably better for everyone involved to get a trade done and get the 1st, top 6 forward and blue chip prospect in a trade. Sucks but its officially the end of an era.

Agreed.

This team isn't ready to make the next step, so no point keeping a player who doesn't want to be here.

It's too bad things aren't different. If Spez would've committed to improving his all-around game early in his career, if Eugene would've had better business sense and make a stronger commitment to the team, if Alfie would've listened to the blank check and stuck around, if we coulda, woulda, shoulda.

No sense looking back, I guess. Time to move forward. This team has a lot of young players with strong potential. We have a chance at being something special in a few years, if everything works out. Who knows?

 

[Qward]

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