It was suggested to me this morning by a friend in the business that the Senators and Sharks might want to consider a 1-for-1, high-profile trade that would give each team a significant shake on the heels of a disappointing season:
Jason Spezza for Joe Thornton.
Now, some people will say that's like swapping apples for apples, but that's not exactly the case, and even if it was, so what? It'd still be trading a Granny Smiths for a MacIntosh. They may be similar, but they are not exactly the same.
For your comparison purposes:
Spezza, who is 25, is listed as 6-foot-2, 206 pounds. He has 418 points in 404 regular season games. He has 39 points in 40 playoff games. He'll make $8 million for each of the next four years.
Thornton, who is 29, is listed as 6-foot-4, 235 pounds. He has scored 842 points in 836 regular season games. He has 53 points (and just 12 goals) in 76 playoff games. He'll make $7.2 million for each of the next two seasons.
My opinion: The younger Spezza has more upside. But if the cap goes down, as expected, that salary could be a real handicap.
Thornton's size is a plus, even if he doesn't always play that big, and he really does need to improve his playoff numbers. But then, he hasn't had the benefit of playing on a line with Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley, either.
Based primarily on contract considerations and because I already have Heatley, Alfredsson and Mike Fisher extended until the end of the 2012-2013 season, I think I'd make that deal if I'm the Senators.
If I'm the Sharks, who need some hope that things will get better to sell their fans over the summer, I'd certainly do it.