Did The Ottawa Senators Capitalize On Jason Spezza’s Trade Value?

Hind-sight, it’s always a fun thing.

When Ottawa dealt Jason Spezza it was mostly viewed as a trade that brought back a nice package of futures for Ottawa, including a ready-now NHL player in Alex Chiasson.

Now, as Spezza is having a great year in Dallas and the prices have been set for the NHL trade deadline, hind-sight may tell us that the Senators did not maximize their value for Spezza

SPEZZA DEAL RETURN

Let’s break down the trade. First, by taking a look at the package Ottawa received.

Chiasson, 23 at the time was coming off a season which saw him score in the first half and not the second. Chiasson finished with 35 points last year, and hopes were a repeat or greater offensive output for this season. 20 goals and 40 points seemed realistic to some and since then, Chiasson hasn’t impressed in Ottawa.

I did a little write-up about Chiasson’s future in Ottawa last week, where I stated “Alex Chiasson does not have a long-term future in Ottawa” essentially, it boils down to this.

"Chiasson’s use to this team is currently a bottom 6 forward, and the Senators have plenty of those. Whether it be the already existent guys on the team or players in bingo such as Derek Grant or Buddy Robinson, Ottawa doesn’t need any more bottom 6 forwards.Chiasson is an upcoming RFA and currently doesn’t hold the hammer in any negotiations. His play has become poor and he may have to settle for a cheap deal after coming off what is likely to be a disappointing season."

As for the two prospects, Guptill and Paul.

Guptill hasn’t had a great year, a terrible year to be exact. In his defence, Binghamton has been terrible as well, however the chances of him becoming an NHLer are slim at this point.

Paul made Canada’s national junior team and won gold, but despite his play in North Bay being good, it hasn’t been great. As many have pointed out, Nick Paul is playing as an almost over-ager in the OHL and hasn’t dominated in the way some would think.

RISK VS REWARD SCENARIO

Let’s say Ottawa held onto Jason Spezza at the start of the season and ran with him until the trade deadline…. (highly unlikely, I’ll get to that)

There’s no question Spezza would become the most sought after and valuable free-agent/rental player available. Spezza is still clearly a 1st line center in this league, as his services would be heavily valued to a contender.

When you look at what player’s have returned at the deadline, we see that even the lower end rentals have returned decent packages. Curtis Glencross got Calgary a 2nd and a 3rd, Erik Cole brought 2 prospects and a 2nd to Detroit, and heading into Monday, we haven’t seen what others have gotten.

So, if Ottawa holds on to Spezza, who knows what he returns at the deadline. His salary is a problem, but If Ottawa is willing to take money back, who knows who becomes a bidder and who knows what package Ottawa receives.

On the flip-side, there’s no guarantee Ottawa gets what they want, leaving them in a weird scenario with a pending UFA in Jason Spezza. This a reason why Murray was right to make the move in the off-season.

SENATORS WERE “HANDCUFFED”

It’s a frustrating scenario, but it looked as though the Senators had no choice but to deal Spezza in the off-season, when the value was likely at a minimum.

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Teams rosters aren’t set and teams certainly haven’t seen who has/hasn’t worked out.. so they don’t know which free agents or trade possibilities are the best to pursue. Especially when it comes to giving up assets to acquire a player.

Looking at it in that sense, the Senators did in fact maximize their value in exchange for Jason Spezza. He wasn’t returning and he certainly wasn’t signing an extension in Ottawa. It may be disappointing, but given the scenario presented to Bryan Murray this past summer, he did a good job in getting a few pieces for Jason Spezza.

It should be mentioned that it also did not help that Spezza’s Modified NTC did in fact block a rumoured deal between Ottawa and Nashville, again.. leaving the interest limited.

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While Spezza has certainly moved on and found a new home in Dallas, the unknown is currently curious for Sens fans. What package would Ottawa have received at the deadline?

Who knows, but given the scenario, we have to understand that Bryan Murray traded a 32-year-old center with back issues in a limited interest market.

Heck, what could Vancouver receive for C Ryan Kesler, a younger player who still has term?

Next: The Methot Effect, Senators Playoff Chances

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