Senators ink C Spezza to long-term deal

Jun 20, 2008 - 3:48 AM OTTAWA (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Kings have been actively seeking a top-flight forward, using their second overall pick in this weekend's draft as bait. One team that will not being doing business with the Pacific Division team is the Ottawa Senators.

According to a report by the Ottawa Sun on Thursday, the Senators have signed Jason Spezza to a seven-year, $49 million contract extension, ending speculation the team would send the high-scoring center to the Kings in a deal that also would involve Michael Cammalleri and a swap of picks in Friday's first round of the draft.

The Senators own the 18th overall pick.

Ottawa general manager Bryan Murray claimed there was no truth to the rumor that had him shipping Spezza to Los Angeles.

"You guys (in the media) make up more stories than I can ever imagine," Murray told the Sun. "I don't know where this stuff comes from. All that I know, at this point in time, that's not going to happen."

Drafted second overall in 2001, Spezza made his NHL debut in 2002-03, collecting 21 points in 33 games. The 25-year-old recorded 22 goals and 33 assists in his first full season with the Senators in 2003-04 and has notched at least 87 points each of the last three campaigns while primarily playing on a line with captain Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley.

This past season, Spezza registered career highs of 34 goals and 92 points in 76 games.

Citing undisclosed league sources, the Sun also reported the Kings were offered Hart Trophy finalist Evgeni Malkin by the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for the second overall pick and a player believed to be Cammalleri.

"I've had two legitimate offers," Los Angeles general manager Dean Lombardi told the newspaper on Wednesday. "I've spoken with ownership, and we've agreed that we're going to build here for the long term. To trade away that draft pick, we're going to have to get a lot of value."

At just 21 years old, Malkin undoubtedly meets the criteria. The Russian, who was the second overall selection in the 2004 draft, joined Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals as the only players to reach the 100-point mark this past season, recording 106 - including 47 goals.

Malkin, who will make a mere $984,000 in the final year of his current contract in 2008-09, hopes to remain with the Penguins. According to the Beaver County Times, he likely will sign a five-year contract in the near future that will pay him approximately $8.5 million per season.