Ottawa 08/09 Free agents - What would you do?

[Brent]

Finding enough to pay Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley alone could break the Ottawa Senators' bank after the 2007-08 season. Source (http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/sports/story.html?id=7dfb6fba-e03a-4564-82d0-cac0d97c743a)

Here are Ottawa's free agents in 08/09:
The sens cap will be around 23mil with the following players contracts up:

Heatley UFA
5.5mil, projected 7.5+mil.

Spezza RFA
5mil, projected 6.5+mil

Wade Redden UFA
6.5mil, projected ?

Antoine Vermette RFA
1.075mil, projected 1.8?

Mike Fisher UFA
1.5mil, projected?

Andrej Meszaros
.984mil, projected?

Patrick Eaves RFA
.942 mil, projected?

Chris Kelly UFA
1.265mil, projected?

Brian McGrattan
.525 mil, projected .530mil

So with 23-34 million to spend, what would you do if you were the sens GM?

[Brent]

With the top two sen lines besides alfie on the free agent block next year I'm not sure what I would do but it probably be something like this.

I would try to keep spezza and heatley,,, as those two along with alfie locked up for 3-4 years means a consistently good team should be easily built around them.

Sign meszaros a solid young d man with potential.

Then Eaves, Fischer and Vermette, the sens entire second line,,, is a tough decision. Vermette went from +17/33pts to -2/39pts last year, Fisher has had an avg of 46pts/68games a yr in the last two seasons which impressive. Eaves is young and skilled. So with Eaves and Vermetter being RFA's that gives some resistance there and I would find out right away what Fisher's asking price is... if he wants to much then I'd try to ship him out and get Eaves/Vermette locked up.

Move redden, move gerber and see what is left for Kelly/mcGrattan/gerber replacement(backupgoalie) etc.

[Walesy]

Got to keep spezza and heatley. Spezza is still getting better each year and Heatley is a proven scorer in this league. They have great chemistry together in all situations, even strength, pp, pk.....

[Brent]

Looks like they're working on Gerber's trade value.
http://www.ottawasun.com/Sports/Senators/2007/09/06/4473228-sun.html

Though with Emery trying to run people off the road (http://www.hockey5.com/news/p2_articleid/419) with his hummer, maybe he should leave the capital!

[Brent]

Dany Heatley will only negotiate a contract extension until the start of the regular season.


Dany Heatley won't let contract talks drag on into the regular season. The winger confirmed yesterday that if he doesn't have a deal in place with the Senators when the regular season begins Oct. 3, he'll ask agents Stacey McAlpine and J.P. Barry to put discussions on hold until the end of the season.

Source: Ottawa Sun (http://ottsun.canoe.ca/Sports/Senators/2007/09/18/4505065-sun.html)

[Brent]

Last I've heard is that both Spezza and Healtey will review contracts only up to seasons start, after that to avoid distraction, they will wait til the year end to resume talks.

If both these guys go into this entire year without a new contract we can expect a 'contract year' performance from both of them.... as if they could perform better then they already do?!! :)

[Brent]

Heatley signed a 6-year, $45-million contract extension !!

Nice deal for the Sens, good to get it done before the season start... good length and contract.

Alfie and Heatly are now locked up for a bit,,, if they can get Spezza signed they could have a heck of good team for a long time to come.

[Brent]

Reports are coming in this morning that Spezza has been resigned. Should be announced later today.

Good for the Sens!!

I imagine they will have to let Redden leave town unless he wants to resign next year for 25% of his previous salary.

The two goalie tandem might be a worth while investment... if not in the plans though, both Gerber and Emery are probably on the shortlist of many interested teams.

[Gasolinie]

They'll trade Gerber and use his salary to pay Redden. Chris Philips can't be the only defensive defenceman they have.

[Brent]

OTTAWA (AP) -- Senators center Jason Spezza agreed to a $49 million, seven-year contract extension Friday that allowed Ottawa to lock up the final member of its potent first line.
The 24-year-old would have been a restricted free agent after this season but now will be with the team through 2014-15. He joins Daniel Alfredsson, who is signed through 2011-12, and Dany Heatley, who agreed to a $45-million, six-year extension through 2013-14 last month, as franchise cornerstones."Jason Spezza is a great example of what the future holds for the Ottawa Senators and our fans," owner Eugene Melnyk said in a statement. "Without question, Jason belongs here in Ottawa and he continues to be an integral part of our organization's long-term plans."
Spezza's contract is split between $33 million in salary and $16 million in signing bonuses paid out over the first five years of the deal. In total, Spezza will earn $8 million in each of the first five seasons of the agreement, $5 million in 2013-14 and $4 million in 2014-15.
His average annual salary of $7 million will count against the salary cap. Spezza is earning $5 million this season.
"This is a good situation for Jason," his agent, Rick Curran, said Friday. "This is where he wants to be and that's always the best deal for a player."
Spezza has a goal and 12 assists in 10 games this season, helping Ottawa to a 10-1-0 start. He sat out Thursday night's 6-4 win over the Atlanta Thrashers with a groin injury and is listed as day to day.