Dallas Stars: Three Poor Player Contracts Going Into 2018-19 Season
By Josh Clark
2. Jason Spezza
Contract details: Four years, $7.5 million AAV (one year left)
This one is a bit more complicated.
Rewind back to June 2014. The Dallas Stars are fresh off of their first playoff appearance in five years and took a big step in the road back to becoming a contender. But among a few minor needs, there is one pressing matter that needs attention: the team’s depth at center.
Tyler Seguin proved to be an elite no. 1 center in his first season with Dallas, so the top line was alright. But outside of the top three, the need became significant down the middle. Cody Eakin was too young to take on a top-six role and there were no other natural options at center on the roster.
That’s why Nill spent part of July 1 acquiring veteran superstar center Jason Spezza. As Spezza entered the final year of his deal, he had requested a trade from a rocky Ottawa Senators team to a contender. The Stars were first in line and made the deal happen quickly.
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And not even two months into his first season with Dallas, Nill made sure to lock Spezza (who was 31 at the time) up on a new deal for four more years.
But problems didn’t begin arising until the 2016-17 season. Spezza lived up to his potential and the new contract in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, posting 50 goals and 125 points (50 on the power play) while also winning 54.4 percent of his face-offs through 157 games. Those are great numbers for a second-line center. And on top of that, he also served as a veteran leader to a relatively young Dallas offense.
In 2016-17, he hit a bit of a rough patch. Spezza missed 14 games due to a lower-body injury, which limited him to 68 games on the year. His 15 goals and -18 rating weren’t entirely impressive, though his 50 points still provided a decent argument considering his reduction in ice time.
As the Stars entered 2017-18, many expected Spezza to put up similar numbers to the year before. Sure, he was getting older, but the potential and abilities were still there.
But they all seemed to disappear when Ken Hitchcock took over as head coach. Spezza didn’t seem to fit Hitch’s system, and so he was treated as an extra. As a result, Spezza skated in 78 games, posting eight goals and 26 points. Those are both the lowest marks of his career since his rookie season in 2002-03.
A -12 rating helped round out his disappointing year as Spezza was constantly shifted throughout the lineup, paired with “fourth line grinders,” and put in a tough position to succeed.
That’s what makes the $7.5 million per year all the more painful. Spezza delivered on the first two years of the deal, but it looks as though the term was stretched out too far.
Spezza has one final year on the contract, and it will be crucial for him to deliver. He will likely start the year as the Stars’ no. 2 center, but at the age of 35 and his production hitting a sharp decline last season, it might be tough for him to reignite the flame. But that’s what needs to happen.
After all, his extension with Dallas is the kind that demands results. And at the moment, that extension is looking awfully rough.