Jesse in Edmonton, Alberta asks…
Hey, I’m a longtime reader, first time commenter. If you had to speculate on a potential trade that would surprise hockey fans, what do you think it would be?
Jason Spezza and Dion Phaneuf are overpaid.
Spezza’s deal is worse. He is signed through 2015, at a $7 million annual salary cap hit. The Mississauga, Ontario native is an elite center and is only 26. However, he has never scored 40 goals or recorded 100 points in the NHL and has a history of injury. Spezza’s is on pace to play 60 games this year and score a measly 38 points.
Coming off a disappointing 2008-09, Phaneuf has once again disappointed in Calgary. After scoring 20, 17, and 17 goals in his first three seasons respectively, the twenty-four year old lit the lamp only 11 times last year and is on pace to do so 12 this year. His contract, with a yearly cap hit of $6.5 million, expires in 2014.
Ottawa has been poor defensively this year. The club’s 2.88 goals against average ranks twentieth in the National Hockey League, while a 2.71 goals for average places the Sens at fourteenth. In contrast, Calgary’s defense has been strong, with a 2.51 GAA, good for ninth in the league. The Flames’ 2.54 GFG is fifth last in the NHL.
Both Spezza and Phaneuf seem to be in need of a change of scenery. A multitude of reports indicate that Dion and coach Brent Sutter have butted heads. While a Spezza for Phaneuf transaction would probably not be “straight up,” the trade would make sense for both teams. The value of their pacts is within $500 000 and there is only a two-year age difference. Spezza would provide the Flames with a much-needed top center. Phaneuf would finally give the Senators a legitimate top defenseman.
