No. 4: Jason Spezza
Who would have thought that Jason Spezza would have been the most consistent player for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs? (At least other than William Nylander).
Spezza had five points (including three goals) in seven games this playoff series and looked like he’d drank from the fountain of youth. He played great all season, but there were zero expectations on him to perform so highly when the playoffs started.
If you would have told 1000 Leafs fans prior to the series that Spezza would have scored three goals, they would have assumed that Toronto swept Montreal. His goal-scoring should be a bonus for Toronto, instead of the number-one option.
Since Spezza is a local kid and loves his time in Toronto, he will return to the team, as long as they want him.
Jason Spezza on if he'd like to return to the #Leafs:
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) June 2, 2021
"Yeah, I would. I feel like there's a lot of unfinished business, I feel very invested in the group here and hopeful that I get another opportunity to do that again next year and push this team over the top."
There’s no reason to believe that he will ask for anymore than $700K again, so that the organization can build as much talent around him.
Although Spezza played great and turned back the clock this year, we shouldn’t expect him to replicate it again. He’s going to be one year older and sooner than later, the production won’t be there. However, for $700K, the team needs to re-sign him, just in case he can do it all over again and be that veteran in the room that everyone plays for.
We all want to see Spezza win a Stanley Cup before he retires and we all want it to be with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hopefully, he has another one or two years left in the tank and this team can finally do it for him.