On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that veteran forward Jason Spezza agreed on a one-year, $750,000 contract extension.
Spezza’s staying home!
Jason Spezza has signed a one-year contract extension. #LeafsForever— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 16, 2021
Jason Spezza Signs Contract Extension
Spezza has spent the past two seasons with the Maple Leafs and had already expressed his wishes to return for another one. The 38-year-old played in 54 regular-season games with the Leafs in the 2020-21 campaign and recorded 10 goals and 30 points. During this year’s Round 1 of the playoffs, he had three goals and five points in seven games. The new contract will lead Spezza to his 19th NHL season.
He has appeared in 1,177 games with the Ottawa Senators, Dallas Stars, and the Maple Leafs throughout his career. He has a career record of 351 goals and 970 points in the regular season. In the playoffs, he has 28 goals and 75 points in 92 games. Spezza was drafted second overall by the Senators in the 2001 NHL Draft.
What This Means for the Future
Spezza has been a good veteran addition to the Maple Leafs, especially during the 2020-21 season. He was placed in the bottom six for Toronto and has been nothing but successful on the offensive side. According to Evolving Hockey, Spezza had the highest points/60 production at even strength of any bottom-six player this regular season. He stands 10th on the list and that is a plus considering he’s above players like Nathan MacKinnon and Leon Draisaitl.
This is also the third straight one-year, league-minimum contract the 38-year-old player has signed with Toronto. Spezza is from Toronto and those three contracts show that he’s comfortable and wants to stay. On a team like the Maple Leafs, a veteran player who wants to be there and will take smaller contracts is paradise. Considering his production and how good he was for them during the first round of the playoffs, this extension is a win-win.
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