Jason Spezza signed another league minimum, $700k contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 37 year old forward is entering his eighteenth season in the NHL.
Back for another season!
Jason Spezza has signed a one-year contract extension. #LeafsForever
Details: https://t.co/USYwNk1kY5 pic.twitter.com/d7Zs4frIGN
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 5, 2020
Jason Spezza Re-Signs with Toronto
Jason Spezza has proven, once again, that he can play meaningful hockey at as old an age as he is. At 37 years old, Spezza has put up three 25-plus-point seasons since his 50 point campaign during the 2017-18 season. He might not be the most skilled player, and certainly isn’t a top-six centreman that he was three seasons ago, he has shown to be a valuable depth player down the middle.
Spezza signed with the Maple Leafs last offseason after finishing his five season stint with the Dallas Stars. He took a massive pay-cut to his previous $7.5 million cap hit when he signed last season, and is taking another league-minimum contract to play in his hometown.
What This Means for the Future
Spezza averaged just under 11 minutes of ice time each game last season. Potentially in an increased role, as a third line centre and a special teams player, he could increase his point production and break 30 points for the first time since 2017. He has proven to be reliable at the face-off dot, winning over half of his draws for the thirteenth season in a row. Aside from his ability down the middle, he is still a skilled winger and can swap out with someone else, if needed, during an important stretch of a game or the season.
A former second-pick overall in 2001, Jason Spezza has been a big bodied player with the capacity to score. He has scored 20 points in 16 of his 17 seasons in the league, and has stayed pretty healthy through his long run in the league. He has yet to win a Stanley Cup, and staying with Toronto could change that. They missed a shot at the playoffs this past postseason and will be looking to make a statement come the start of the next season.
