NHL Trade Rumors: Should the Ottawa Senators Be Thinking of Moving Jason Spezza?

Jason Spezza is having a solid season in 2011-2012. He has 32 points in 32 games and has been one of the top vote-getters in the All-Star game. Being in the top 10 in the NHL in scoring is a solid feat. Spezza has shown that he can compete and be a front-line center.

With his value so high, should the Sens consider moving the dynamic centreman?

I personally think that the Senators would be wise to trade Jason Spezza. He is still relatively young at 28 years old and could fetch a great price at the trade deadline or before.

Let's be real here, the Senators will not be ready to compete in the Eastern Conference for another year or two, at least. At that point, Spezza would be a little older and his value wouldn’t be as high on the trade market. Many teams would ship out a great package of young NHL-ready talent, prospects and draft picks to acquire such an offensive force.

If the Senators were able to cash in with these prospects and draft picks—coupled with some great young talent of their own—they could be in an excellent position in a year or two.

Moreover, with the departure of Spezza, some younger players on the Sens would get some first line duty and some excellent power-play time. Guys like Nick Foligno and Zack Smith would get extra chances to improve their point totals and gain some confidence. They could follow a path similar to Ryan Callahan in New York.

It doesn’t hurt to at least look and see what his value is. I personally don’t think the Sens will challenge for a playoff spot and they will be sellers at the deadline. Why not trade Spezza while his stock is so high?