Report: Could the Dallas Stars be looking to trade Jason Spezza?

It has always been evident that the Dallas Stars have a very strong set of offensive players, but beyond the team's blue line it has been somewhat chaotic for a couple of years. 

With the recent additions of Ken Hitchcock, Ben Bishop, and Marc Methot, the club addressed many of the team's gaps, namely: system, goaltending and defensive issues. 

Something that seems further confirmed with the signing of Martin Hanzal, a renowned two-way forward league wide. 

As per The Hockey Writers, "Hanzal is the defensive yin to Spezza's offensive yang". 

In fact, when one compares the 30 year-old's Relative Corsi Against per 60 minutes to Jason Spezza's, the former was a minus -3.83 while the latter recorded a plus - 1.52. 

Said differently this means that when Spezza was on the ice for the Dallas Stars, the team allowed more shot attempts. In contrast, the Arizona Coyotes and the Minnesota Wild, both former teams of Martin Hanzal, allowed fewer shots when the player was on the ice. 

If that weren't enough, Hanzal is also superior in the face-off circle. As per The Hockey Writers, over the last three seasons the 30 year-old won more than 56% of draws, whereas Spezza only managed a respectable 53.7%. 

It had been previously rumored that both players would potentially be playing on the same line, which led to speculations about who would be playing center. Would they be splitting their time at center?

If we are to believe Hanzal's comments, its apparent that he has no intention of sharing the responsibilities: “I never play wing, so I probably stay at center.” 

Especially considering that he joined the Stars specifically because he believes the organization has a great chance at winning the great honors, something that may be impossible with a player who allows a superior amount of shots during his ice presences. 

“It’s simple. I believe this is a winning team. I believe this is a great organization, great players. I played against Dallas many times. I believe we can win. That was the main reason.”

The Dallas Stars begin their season against the Vegas Golden Knights on October 6.