NHL Rumors: Four teams want Jason Spezza
By Cory Buck
Jason Spezza wants out of Ottawa and it appears he’ll get his wish. The teams that have stepped up since Spezza’s request are no slouches either. TSN’s Bob McKenzie notes that ‘four teams’ are in the mix for Spezza right now. ‘Three in the West, one in the East,’ he continues in the linked video. Such specifics have of course set off a whole new wave of rumors surrounding the talented top center who has spent his entire career in Ottawa.
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Pro Hockey Talk notes that “the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks continue to be linked to Spezza” while the Chicago Blackhawks are rumored as the third Western Conference team in the mix. The Hawks have been after a second center for a while now and Spezza would certainly fit the bill. The Blues and Ducks are both looking for added offense after falling short to the Hawks and Kings respectively in the 2014 playoffs.
There’s no word on what the Eastern Conference team might be, but it’s a safe bet that the team would have to be a contender. The PHT article notes that Carolina, Florida, Columbus and the New York Islanders are four of the ten teams on Spezza’s no-trade list. Combine that with our link that notes that Spezza isn’t keen on playing in Canada and you have a list pared down considerably.
At 31 years old, Jason Spezza is tired of waiting for another chance to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals. He wants to get there by whatever means necessary and it appears the Senators are more than happy to oblige them — preferably before the first round of the NHL draft on Friday so that the team can get some picks in return.
With that in mind, expect the Spezza saga to wrap up fairly quickly and within the next 24-48 hours.