NHL Draft 2014 Day 1 Spezza Wrap: He's Still Here
The Ottawa Senators didn't shake up the draft in Philadelphia tonight by trading team captain Jason Spezza to St. Louis or Arizona. Instead, the Sens brain trust gathered around a big table and ate cheesesteaks.
Despite moves earlier in the day from the Vancouver Canucks, Jason Spezza was not dealt on the first day of the NHL draft. The afternoon deal that sent Ryan Kesler to the Anaheim Ducks for Nick Bonino, Lucas Sbisa and the 24th overall pick, both took one of the available big-name centres off the market and took away one potential destination for Jason Spezza. But with UFA centre Paul Stastny still available, teams are still unwilling to meet Bryan Murray's asking price.
Much to the disappointment of many Sens fans, who have already tired of the Spezza trade watch, Bryan Murray was unable to get a deal done tonight in time to get a 2014 first round pick.
Murray had this to say about the Spezza situation after the conclusion of the first round:
Bryan Murray sounded disappointed after not being able to complete a Jason Spezza deal. Said nobody came to them with a serious offer. #Sens
— AJ Jakubec (@AJonSports) June 28, 2014 Bryan Murray tells @TSN1200: "Today there was no conversation that meant anything. There wasn't one team that came to me with an offer."
— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) June 28, 2014 Murray says 2 of the teams that showed interest in Spezza are on his no trade list. @TSN1200
— Steve Lloyd (@TSNSteveLloyd) June 28, 2014 The Senators reiterated that the team is willing to go into the season with Spezza still on the team.
Bryan Murray tells @TSN1200 he told Spezza's agent Rick Curran: "Unless something improves, don't expect to be traded."
— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) June 28, 2014 The scenario in which Spezza is still on this team in training camp seems highly unlikely to me, but just because the first big trading day of the offseason has passed, doesn't mean Murray should just throw down his hand and fold.
One of the reasons Murray was so committed to getting a first round pick tonight was because he traded Ottawa's own pick, the 10th overall selection, to the Anaheim Ducks as part of last summer's blockbuster Bobby Ryan deal. Despite Ottawa's disappointing season and his inability to find a partner willing to meet his demands over Spezza, Murray confirmed that he has no problem with the Ryan deal one year out.
Both Bryan Murray & Pierre Dorion told @TSN1200 they would make the Bobby Ryan trade again. With no hesitation. #Sens
— AJ Jakubec (@AJonSports) June 28, 2014 I'm not surprised by this, he wasn't going to come out and say he made a mistake, especially while trying to make another blockbuster deal this summer. In addition, the Senators have indicated the organization has every intention of inking Ryan to an extension this summer.
If Murray moves off the first round pick requirement and instead shifts his focus to adding a second round pick to the Spezza return package, tomorrow might turn out to be more interesting than today.
