3. Jason Spezza
Mar 19, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars center Jason Spezza (90) during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeated the Penguins 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Stats: 686 GP, 251G, 687P
Height/Weight: 6foot3, 221lbs
Acquired: 2001 NHL Entry Draft (2nd Overall)
The Senators’ Jason Spezza era concluded last year after one season of captaincy and after much like Heatley and Yashin, Spezza requested a trade. It was in the cards and perhaps it was simply time. Among many of the Sens’ notable departures, Spezza’s was among the easier to swallow.
He’s certainly one of the best Senators of all-time and among a pretty exclusive group in terms of point production. Spezza played his entire career in Ottawa while maintaining a point-per-game pace; Dany Heatley is the only other in this top 10 to be able to say the same.
Spezza just hit the mark as he posted 687 points in the 686 games he played. Many of those points came during Spezza’s peak seasons when he posted 90, 87, and 92 point years during seasons he missed around 15 games on average.
Today, he’s still a good contributor and a legitimate 1st line center on a team that has two of those. He gets to play in the shadow of Tyler Seguin and in a smaller hockey market in Dallas, which is probably best considering where his career was trending.
Spezza brought dominating seasons to Ottawa and will always be considered one of the best Senators of all-time. He led what was the NHL’s best line when he played alongside Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley. He gave the Sens a decade of great hockey, justifying his placement as the 3rd greatest Senator of all-time.
Next: #2: Will He Retire The Greatest Of All-Time?