Maple Leafs sign Spezza to 1-year, $750K extension
The Toronto Maple Leafs inked Jason Spezza to a one-year contract extension worth $750,000, the club announced Wednesday.
Spezza will earn the new league minimum next season after collecting the lowest-possible NHL salary for the last two campaigns.
"I know where the team’s at with the cap and everything. And I’ll be honest, all I care about is playing on a good team and just trying to win," Spezza said after inking his new deal, per Sportsnet. "So if I could take less I would.
"You know, I love playing the game. I love competing. The chase of a Cup is at the forefront of my mind, you know, daily. And anything I can do to kind of help the team acquire better players, that’s kind of why I just take the league minimum and want to move forward."
The veteran forward, who turned 38 on Sunday, produced 10 goals and 20 assists in 54 regular-season games with the Maple Leafs in 2021 before excelling in the playoffs with three markers and two helpers in seven contests.
Spezza has played his last two campaigns with the Leafs. He has proven to be a perfect fit with the club in a bottom-six role. The Toronto-born player first signed with his hometown squad as a free agent in July 2019 after spending five seasons with the Dallas Stars.
He suited up for his first 11 campaigns with the Ottawa Senators, who drafted him second overall in 2001.