Jason Spezza out up to 8 weeks with knee injury

by DarrenM on Dec 15, 2009 12:56 PM EST

The official word on Jason Spezza's injury is in, and it's not good. Spezza could miss up to 8 weeks after sustaining a serious injury to his right knee in last night's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. When asked about it, Spezza simply said "I don't want to speculate, but it didn't feel good." Jason is going to get an MRI this afternoon to determine the full extent of the damage.

Despite his relative lack of production this season, Spezza had started to heat up, with goals in his last two games. This is a huge blow to the Senators, who are now missing their number one centre, starting goaltender Pascal Leclaire, and two relied upon energy players in Chris Neil and Shean Donovan. How the team bands together and handles this injury will be a true test, especially given their heavy workload in the next couple of months.

On the plus side, this will force Spezza to rest, which may not be a bad thing. The time off could be what he needs to heal the nagging injury that has been bothering him for the majority of the season.

As mentioned earlier, Josh Hennessy has been recalled to replace Spezza in the lineup for the time being. It currently looks as though Hennessy will play on a bottom-six line, with Jesse Winchester taking Spezza's spot between Milan Michalek and Daniel Alfredsson. If that doesn't work, look for Peter Regin, Nick Foligno or Ryan Shannon to get a shot as pivot in the top-six.

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That sucks

On the bright side, he’d hardly been providing offensively, anyway.

Of course , it had to happen just as he was on a two-game goal scoring streak…

www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Dec 15, 2009 1:36 PM EST reply actions

True

It’s also a good opportunity for him to heal up (and take care of those back issues) and hopefully return to the lineup ready for a fresh start.

by Kevin_E on Dec 15, 2009 1:57 PM EST up reply actions

Right in time for the Olympic break!

by Matthew on Dec 15, 2009 2:03 PM EST up reply actions

This is the only way to look at it and keep sane

by Mark Parisi on Dec 15, 2009 2:05 PM EST up reply actions

Whether or not he consistently shows up on the score-sheet, Spezza is almost always a factor in some way. I guess his back hasnt been right this season but this is still an enormous blow to the team. Plain and simple they dont have the talent up front to cover up his spot in the lineup.

The playoffs are looking alot more questionable today than they were yesterday.

Cannot play with 'em, cannot win with 'em, cannot coach with 'em. Cant do it.

by Andrew J on Dec 15, 2009 3:02 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

agreed on all accounts.

Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.

by DarrenM on Dec 15, 2009 3:46 PM EST up reply actions

I'm not so sure that's the case

The last time Spezza suffered a serious injury, the team rallied around a more defensive game and went to the Finals.

by Mark Parisi on Dec 15, 2009 3:46 PM EST up reply actions

But remember when Spezza was gone THIS season? The team was awful.

Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.

by DarrenM on Dec 15, 2009 4:24 PM EST up reply actions

5-2 loss to Tampa Bay, and a 3-1 loss to Atlanta in the two games Spezza missed due to injury.

Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.

by DarrenM on Dec 15, 2009 4:28 PM EST up reply actions

I refuse to acknowledge this soundly logical counterargument.

by Mark Parisi on Dec 15, 2009 5:11 PM EST up reply actions

it is going to be a very interesting few weeks…

by sens_24 on Dec 15, 2009 4:32 PM EST reply actions

Indeed.

But I’m curious to see how Winchester does with Michalek and Alfredsson.

by daubs on Dec 16, 2009 8:34 AM EST up reply actions

Great defensively, mediocre offensively?

Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.

by DarrenM on Dec 16, 2009 11:00 AM EST up reply actions

He shouldnt have to be great playing with those two.

by Mark Parisi on Dec 16, 2009 12:07 PM EST up reply actions

So... do we trade for a star?

Or sit idly by?

www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Dec 15, 2009 6:55 PM EST reply actions

I am assuming Spezza gets put on the IR

so that should open up some cap room for the team to shop.

I think they should wait out the rest of this calendar year first and re-evaluate in the new year.

btw, why was LeClaire never put on IR?

by Manthong on Dec 15, 2009 7:09 PM EST up reply actions

I think it was because the team wasn’t going to make any acquisitions and bringing up Brodeur wouldn’t put them over the cap, so there’s no need to put him on the IR. You still have to pay the player on the IR, anyways, and if I’m correct you can add a player to the IR “retroactively” if you don’t do it initially (IE: if Sens suddenly needed Leclaire’s cap space, they could put him retroactively on IR and he doesn’t have to miss the minimum amount of games you normally have to for IR)

Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.

by DarrenM on Dec 15, 2009 7:11 PM EST up reply actions

okay, that would make sense because you would think that if you couldn’t place a player on IR retroactively then they would have put him on initially. just wasn’t sure

by Manthong on Dec 15, 2009 7:16 PM EST up reply actions

What star could the Senators get? There aren’t many available, and it’s probably not worth giving up a lot for a team that is a borderline playoff team with Spezza.

Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.

by DarrenM on Dec 15, 2009 7:10 PM EST up reply actions

You're right

“Star” is probably the wrong word. What this means, in my opinion, is that the Senators’ wants are significantly different than they were two days ago. Before, it was a gritty guy; now, it’s an offensive on.

Jussi Jokinen… Sergei Samsonov… players of that ilk, if they are available.

www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Dec 15, 2009 8:03 PM EST up reply actions

What about Matt Cullen? Rumours have been swirling around him for months now, do the Sens’ pull the trigger on a deal to acquire Cullen from the ’Canes?

Spezza out 8 weeks just when he was starting to get his groove back. FML! This is a majr blow the Sens’ as now they’ll have to rely on Michalek and Fisher that much more. Maybe Kovalev can step it up? Or is that too much to ask from a $5M player?

It's never about the eventual destination, but rather the long journey and its challenging obstacles that are presented and what it takes to overcome them, that makes the taste of success all the more worthwhile!!!

by hawks61 on Dec 16, 2009 10:01 AM EST up reply actions