Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Spezza, Kessel, Gio & Lucic

Finally, Milan Lucic has expressed his interest in playing for the Maple Leafs after glowing reports from his good friend Mark Giordano.

Item One: Jason Spezza Becomes Penguins Assistant General Manager

The announcement, which everyone knew was coming but thought wouldn’t happen before July 1, was made this morning that the Pittsburgh Penguins have named Spezza the team’s assistant general manager. Spezza will report directly to Dubas, the President of Hockey Operations, and will assist in various hockey operations departments.

As Maple Leafs fans know, Spezza had a successful 20-year NHL playing career (from 2002 to 2022). He started with the Ottawa Senators (2002 to 2014), moved to the Dallas Stars from 2014 to 2019, and finished his career with his hometown Maple Leafs from 2019 to 2022. Over his career, Spezza scored 363 goals and 632 assists (for 995 points) in 1,248 games. He also scored 76 points in 97 playoff games and played in the Stanley Cup Final in 2007.

Spezza moved to the Maple Leafs’ front office after he retired from playing in 2022. He became a special assistant to Dubas, a job he’ll likely assume in The Steel City.

Spezza already had a connection to the Penguins. Player development staff member Matt Cullen was a teammate in Ottawa, and hockey operations advisor Trevor Daley was a teammate in Dallas.

Spezza will move to Pennsylvania with his wife, Jennifer, and four daughters (Sophia, Nicola, Anna, and Julia). While many Maple Leafs fans are pleased that Dubas has fled the scene, they probably aren’t as happy about Spezza; he’s been highly respected everywhere he’s played and worked.

Item Two: Phil Kessel Remembers and Trolls Toronto

Sometimes, it’s easy to think that Kessel just lets things slide off his back. Last night, after the Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup for the first time in team history, trouncing the Florida Panthers 9-3 in Game 5, Kessel gave a fly-by shot at his former city of employment – Toronto.

Kessel, who played in all 82 regular-season games this season to keep his current NHL Iron-Man streak alive, poked the ribs of his former team and the media. After the final game, he reminded the Toronto media that his ability to win had been doubted. He noted: “Takes me back to my Toronto days. You guys said I couldn’t win, and now I’m a three-time champ. Remember that.”

Congratulations to the new Cup champion. His first two Cups came with the Penguins, where he was traded after his relationship with the city of Toronto and the team soured. He eventually joined the Arizona Coyotes but signed a one-year contract with the Golden Knights for the 2022-23 season. 

While Kessel no longer plays a significant role, he does seem able to contribute. Although he did not play every game during the postseason, he was part of the celebration. After he won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2017, he took the trophy golfing and filled it with hot dogs, alluding to Toronto reports that he ate too many hot dogs.

I get the feeling that he cares what’s said about him.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

Pending unrestricted free agent Calgary Flames forward Milan Lucic is reportedly interested in playing for the Maple Leafs.

Now that Dubas has brought Spezza with him to Pittsburgh, there’s speculation that new Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving might do the same with players he knows from Calgary, and that could include Lucic.

During the Leafs Take podcast, hosted by Jay Rosehill and Nick Alberga, Lucic expressed the possibility of signing in Toronto. When he was asked about the Maple Leafs, Lucic talked about the attraction of playing for an Original Six franchise and mentioned his relationship with Treliving. 

However, his friendship with former Flames teammate and current Maple Leafs defenseman Giordano seemed to carry the most weight. According to Lucic, Giordano spoke really highly of his time in Toronto and being a Maple Leafs player. It was a pretty ringing endorsement from Giordano.

While it seems unlikely that the team would consider bringing in an old war horse like Lucic, it’s tough to read Treliving this early in his tenure. What we do know is that Lucic is good friends with Giordano, who laid out a positive picture of playing in Toronto.

What happens next? Who knows.