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Toronto Maple Leafs: Jason Spezza Deserves Better Than This

By Jeremy Ridgewell |
TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 13: Jason Spezza #19 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Montreal Canadiens during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on January 13, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canadiens 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 13: Jason Spezza #19 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Montreal Canadiens during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on January 13, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canadiens 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

When Jason Spezza signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs before the 2019-20 season, many said the 36-year-old was washed up. He has proven time and time again that he is anything but washed up.

It is a shame that his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was on pace to have his best season since the 2016-17 season when he registered 50 points in 68 games for the Dallas Stars. (Stats: Hockey-Reference.com)

That first season in Toronto saw Spezza record 25 points in 58 games. Part of that was the freedom given to him by head coach Sheldon Keefe. Keefe took over after Mike Babcock got fired. Sadly, his first season in Toronto will be tarnished by Babcock benching him for the home opener.

After agreeing to come to Toronto and play for his hometown team at the NHL league minimum of $700,000, the veteran player deserved better. Although that season did not end well for Spezza and the Maple Leafs, he agreed to return for the 2020-21 season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Continue to Disappoint Jason Spezza

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions between the Canada/USA border, the NHL decided to create a new format for the 2020-21 season. This new format saw Spezza and the Maple Leafs playing in the North Division. The North Division was made up of only Canadian teams.

Spezza was once again on a one-year deal for the NHL league minimum. All he cares about is trying to win a championship in Toronto. Even though the 2020-21 season was shortened due to the pandemic, Spezza made the most of it. He registered 30 points in 54 games while helping Toronto finish the season first in their division.

The team and Spezza had high hopes going into their first-round matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. Unfortunately, they came up short once again, and this time in an ugly fashion. Toronto had a 3-1 series lead in the first round, best of seven series. They ended up losing three straight and were eliminated. Spezza was yet again let down by a very talented Toronto team.

Spezza Hoping Third Time Is The Charm

Spezza is now in his third year with Toronto and hopefully it will be a full season this time. The team might not be off to a great start, but the 38-year-old is. He has registered four points in seven games already this season.

The sad thing about this team right now is the lack of effort. At times, it looks like the team has completely given up. With the level of talent that Toronto has, it is alarming that Spezza is second in team scoring through seven games.

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This team needs to start giving a better effort every game. Especially the star players who are making $10M or more. Guys like Spezza deserve it and hopefully they start Wednesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks.

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