Travis Yost: So, Why Does Spezza Want Out?

I hate Crazy Eugene

[insert negative comment regarding Eugene Melnyk]

Enough of this bullpoop, Ottawa needs a owner that can actually spend money and not be on a budget. Either fully support the team or sell it. The fans deserve better.

I think what Brad May is saying makes a ton of sense. Here in Minnesota we felt the same way about the prospect of the Wild EVER being relevant nationally because of a documented history of refusal to spend and inability to draw interest from big name free agents.

Gaborik turned down more money that he got elsewhere to move on. Minnesota natives avoided playing here like the plague.

Ottawa has some very good young players in their pipeline but they must fix their Brand & Culture and maybe that means a new owner. Spezza is not the first important player to feel this way about the organization and having it come on the heels of Alfredsson departure kinda furthers the idea.

Iam gonna buy all the pitchforks and torches in ottawa ,ill make a killing selling them to the angry mob."TOP SHELF TORCHES and pitchforks "has a nice ring to it.

Berglund has a bum shoulder ,needs surgery.Do we still want him??

If Melnyk keeps being so cheap, how long before Karlsson wants out? At some point he will get tired of it and so will most vets unless they are just happy to have a job in the NHL or some young player that just wants to play in the NHL and prove he belongs.

Travis Yost: So, Why Does Spezza Want Out?
- Travis Yost

Ahhugh I don't know what to think..

When alfie left, I remember reading alfie calling spezz explaining his reasons for leaving the team..

I'm sure he mentioned the teams financial issues and lack of desire to spend.

In Jason's case though, I think he really is fed up with not only the teams unwillingness to spend, but also the media, the lack of respect he's been getting

and the 0 support from management

We will be losing the 2nd most important player in our franchise in the last 2years!

And keeping one of the suckiest ones for another 2!

If Melnyk keeps being so cheap, how long before Karlsson wants out? At some point he will get tired of it and so will most vets unless they are just happy to have a job in the NHL or some young player that just wants to play in the NHL and prove he belongs.
- dcz28

Cheap owner that's why come on Ottawa if tampa's owner can spend so can you guys!

Hey Yost, I really wish Cloutier were still here so I could mock him for accepting that Justin Williams for Lars Eller trade from your guys' last East vs. West trade wars. It's pretty clear now who would have won that deal.

Why would anyone doubt this story. Jason's desire about a commitment to winning now is merely code for "pay me" the money. Ottawa's refusal has four likely explanations, all of them somewhat true.

-Ottawa does not want to make a commitment to Spezza (not a winner theory)
-He is entirely out of synch (age/skill/attitude) with the coming window of opportunity
-Ownership is transitioning the team, preparing for a change of corporate structure
-Ownership wants a clean set of books (no old guys on long term deals).

I don't think any of this is bad. Merely reality. But, I can get frustrated with Melnyk for his lack of candor. As early as this coming year you are going to see a very young, fast team that has good skill on all four lines. They will be competitive and they will be fun.

Cheap owner that's why come on Ottawa if tampa's owner can spend so can you guys!
- todd1a

Florida will probably have a bigger payroll than the Sens next year. Eugene
needs to be given the boot. He can take his 55 million cap and shove it!

Three years ago we were told that Ottawa was going into rebuild mode, a three year plan. At that time, I said it only works if Alfredsson and Spezza as well as the other guys from the 2007 team move on. It needs an entirely new culture.

I am very pleased with the progress. Unfortunately we got off track a few times. The worst was trading for Anderson when we were in last place. He got hot, Sens went on a winning streak and we lost our inside position on Landeskog.

But, rebuilding a team is not a science, it is an art. We see it in the junior cycle all the time. You look at a young talent and intuit what he can do 3 or 4 years out. The future of this team belongs to the generation of Karlsson, Turris, Lehner, Zibanejad, Stone, Lazar, Ceci, Peumple, Hoffman Wiercioche and the remainder who have not yet been revealed. There is no fit for a Spezza, Michalek and Hemsky who want long term deals at $17m, lots of ice time and a role in the leadership of the team.

So, everybody just needs to stay calm. You need to trust in someone and Murray is our guy. I like this team a lot.

What should make everyone really nervous is listen to Kalrsson speak now, he says his commitment to Ottawa is to win Stalney Cup - this is veiled language for him saying 'I'm a winner and want to play for a winner, and I'm not here in Ottawa to sell tickets for Papa Eugene'

Ottawa fans have to realize we are a joke franchise, the players hate our ownership, management is a joke, Bryan Murray is more burnt out then cheech and Chong

Remember when bobby Clark Retired as GM because he said he lost his edge to win and the game got ahead of him, this is what Murray is suffering from. Let's get an injection of life, Murray is more worried about getting Garricohe to write and article on how hard his job is then he is about making an elite team.

How about we change the ownerships dialogue about Spezza and Alfie. These are two players who gave us everything they had and gave us our best years, and they leave town it's burnt bridges and hardship. How about trying this 'we are a franchise in transition and. We don't want to lose these players who grew up in Ottawa and mean to much to our fans, but we are trying to build an elite team with the next group of young Senators players and these are the moves you have to make. Jason was a great community leader, player and person for this franchise, we sih him all the best'

Instead we get 'Spezza wants out, he's sick of the fans, poor Bryan Murray, never get a good return, we're better off without him anyways, he never fit in here'

Our team leadership in management is equivalent to the management of a non-franchised fast food restaurant. No imagination, no standards, no long term plot, just putting out the same crap everyday

What should make everyone really nervous is listen to Kalrsson speak now, he says his commitment to Ottawa is to win Stalney Cup - this is veiled language for him saying 'I'm a winner and want to play for a winner, and I'm not here in Ottawa to sell tickets for Papa Eugene'

Ottawa fans have to realize we are a joke franchise, the players hate our ownership, management is a joke, Bryan Murray is more burnt out then cheech and Chong

Remember when bobby Clark Retired as GM because he said he lost his edge to win and the game got ahead of him, this is what Murray is suffering from. Let's get an injection of life, Murray is more worried about getting Garricohe to write and article on how hard his job is then he is about making an elite team.

How about we change the ownerships dialogue about Spezza and Alfie. These are two players who gave us everything they had and gave us our best years, and they leave town it's burnt bridges and hardship. How about trying this 'we are a franchise in transition and. We don't want to lose these players who grew up in Ottawa and mean to much to our fans, but we are trying to build an elite team with the next group of young Senators players and these are the moves you have to make. Jason was a great community leader, player and person for this franchise, we sih him all the best'

Instead we get 'Spezza wants out, he's sick of the fans, poor Bryan Murray, never get a good return, we're better off without him anyways, he never fit in here'

Our team leadership in management is equivalent to the management of a non-franchised fast food restaurant. No imagination, no standards, no long term plot, just putting out the same crap everyday
- tuna99

Why have we not yet heard about Hemsky being traded?

I think he goes with Spezza.

I keep listening for any rumor on where Hemsky likely goes as a UFA.

I think Murray speaking out in NY about trading Spezza is a clear attempt to get out front of the expected timing on a deal. Everyone thinks it is going to be part of draft week. I think it goes down this week and the team getting Spezza also gets the rights to Hemsky.

Love the couple of weeks between the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs and draft day. Murray always goes early or he goes late. Not sure why but he seems more comfortable operating outside the TSN preferred news scheduling cycle.

Patrik Berglund played in the postseason with a shoulder injury.
The ailment is believed to be severe, so don't be surprised if he requires surgery during the off-season. Berglund had no points, nine shots and a minus-7 rating in four games versus Chicago in the series. Apr 28 - 1:42 PM
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

This should put the trade on hold, or change the assets

- sensarmy_11

You should get yourself checked out, basically I hate to tell you thus, but you have a disease where you are just contrary for the sake of the attention.

Why have we not yet heard about Hemsky being traded?

I think he goes with Spezza.

I keep listening for any rumor on where Hemsky likely goes as a UFA.

I think Murray speaking out in NY about trading Spezza is a clear attempt to get out front of the expected timing on a deal. Everyone thinks it is going to be part of draft week. I think it goes down this week and the team getting Spezza also gets the rights to Hemsky.

Love the couple of weeks between the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs and draft day. Murray always goes early or he goes late. Not sure why but he seems more comfortable operating outside the TSN preferred news scheduling cycle.
- spatso

If spez goes to St. Louis, hemsky isn't going with him. Hemsky doesn't crack the top six there

Steen, oshie, tarasenko, Schwartz, backes, spezza (if acquired).

The blues aren't gonna spend 5+ mil on a guy who will be on their 3rd line

You should get yourself checked out, basically I hate to tell you thus, but you have a disease where you are just contrary for the sake of the attention.
- tuna99

Says the guy who is absolutely as negative as possible, about everything, all the time

Not sure I would put too much faith in stuff Brad May and Kevin Lee write. In any event, even if the Sens were spending to the cap trading Spezza now as opposed to extending him long term is a good hockey decision.

Not sure I would put too much faith in stuff Brad May and Kevin Lee write. In any event, even if the Sens were spending to the cap trading Spezza now as opposed to extending him long term is a good hockey decision.
- sensfanatic

If Ottawa wasn't a budget team, and spezza would take a 4-5 year deal, I think we'd be foolish to trade him. Moving him makes sense ONLY because of the said financial reality that melnyk has created

What should make everyone really nervous is listen to Kalrsson speak now, he says his commitment to Ottawa is to win Stalney Cup - this is veiled language for him saying 'I'm a winner and want to play for a winner, and I'm not here in Ottawa to sell tickets for Papa Eugene'

Ottawa fans have to realize we are a joke franchise, the players hate our ownership, management is a joke, Bryan Murray is more burnt out then cheech and Chong

Remember when bobby Clark Retired as GM because he said he lost his edge to win and the game got ahead of him, this is what Murray is suffering from. Let's get an injection of life, Murray is more worried about getting Garricohe to write and article on how hard his job is then he is about making an elite team.

How about we change the ownerships dialogue about Spezza and Alfie. These are two players who gave us everything they had and gave us our best years, and they leave town it's burnt bridges and hardship. How about trying this 'we are a franchise in transition and. We don't want to lose these players who grew up in Ottawa and mean to much to our fans, but we are trying to build an elite team with the next group of young Senators players and these are the moves you have to make. Jason was a great community leader, player and person for this franchise, we sih him all the best'

Instead we get 'Spezza wants out, he's sick of the fans, poor Bryan Murray, never get a good return, we're better off without him anyways, he never fit in here'

Our team leadership in management is equivalent to the management of a non-franchised fast food restaurant. No imagination, no standards, no long term plot, just putting out the same crap everyday
- tuna99

Stay calm!

Everything is going to be okay. I am not a fan of Melnyk but I accept he is doing what he has to do. The business side is being placed on a new financial cycle. They are cleaning up the books, especially as it relates to long term debt obligations. A new corporate structure is coming. Spezza is being auctioned off next week along with the other stallions in Melnyk's breeding stock.

You need to know that none of this is random.

If I am a buyer or investor there is nothing in the NHL more attractive than the Ottawa Senators today. Did you see the numbers on that TV deal and they are back end loaded so the deal gets even better for a new buyer.

Murray is a great soldier. He is doing the work that needs to be done. He will likely stay on as an advisor beyond his current contract. But, a new corporate group will want to bring in their own man as well.

Some of you guys fought me on this stuff last year when I told you that Melnyk was broke. Nobody on this site has been more critical of Melnyk than I have. But, I am telling you that all the right things are being done. Somebody is steering the ship and they are following a classic business and insolvency restructuring agenda.

Also, last year you did not believe me when I said Spezza, Alfredsson and Melnyk all had to go.

Now I am saying stay calm. I do not know the end of the story. But I know everything is looking very good. This is going to be a very good team built on the foundation of a very strong franchise.

If spez goes to St. Louis, hemsky isn't going with him. Hemsky doesn't crack the top six there

Steen, oshie, tarasenko, Schwartz, backes, spezza (if acquired).

The blues aren't gonna spend 5+ mil on a guy who will be on their 3rd line
- sensarmy_11

I think Nashville and Anahiem would love the both. Especially Anahiem where Selanne and Koivu just hung up their skates.