f***in Nick Paul of all people. Couldn't be happier for the guy. Maybe this launches him to the next level.
Spezza trade won?
Depends on how you look at it
Spezza for 7.5 M$ per season, 5 seasons with Dallas
379 Games 81 Goals 147 Assists 228 Points -46 (0.60 PPG)
Pretty similar to the Bobby Ryan overall PPG in Ottawa, who was criticized a lot while making a bit less (7.25)
Spezza had expressed that he wouldn't re-sign in Ottawa so they had to trade him instead of losing him as a UFA. We got some interesting pieces (but not as good as the initial Nashville trade that Spezza refused) but missed on the 2nd round pick (don't even remember who it was). Chiasson didn't work out as expected but has proved to be a solid support player after Ottawa. However, Nick Paul is a bottom-6 core piece IMO, a guy that should be with the Sens for several more years
It's not a trade that you "win" by any means but not the disaster that was painted by some people. Spezza was getting older, had an injury history and was going to be costly, plus he wanted a change of scenery