Jason Spezza asked for the Ottawa Senators to trade him over the offseason, but he didn’t want to just go anywhere. He vetoed a trade to Nashville, but welcomed the opportunity to move to Dallas.
After a long summer, the day when Spezza will get to play in a game as a member of the Stars draws near.
“I’m probably as excited as I’ve ever been going in to season,” Spezza said, per the Dallas Morning News. “It’s a different feeling being around the rink with a new group of guys and you kind of feel like a rookie again, you don’t know anybody and you want to get to know guys. But it’s an excitement that I’m happy to have.
“I wanted a change of scenery out of Ottawa and I’m thrilled to be a Dallas Star now. I think we’ve got a great young team and I think we can do some damage.”
Spezza credited Stars GM Jim Nill with pushing the team in the right direction, which in turn attracted him to them. The opportunity to be a piece of a gifted offensive core was very appealing to him.
He’s projected to headline Dallas’ second line while Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin will continue to play on the top unit. The hope is that being deep up the middle will help the Stars become a serious contender, but their defense remains questionable and that might hold them back.
Related: