Adding James Neal wasn’t enough to recruit Jason Spezza to the Nashville Predators.
According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray had a trade worked out with the Predators to acquire Spezza, but the veteran centre refused to waive his no-trade clause.
The Predators, who acquired Neal from the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first round of the NHL Draft on Friday, have made it a priority to add a play-making centre, which is why the team was interested in Spezza.
Spezza has one year remaining on a seven-year deal he signed back in 2007; his 2014-15 salary cap hit is $7 million. He requested a trade from his longtime team last month after scoring 23 goals and 43 assists with 46 penalty minutes and a minus-26 rating in 75 games in 2013-14.
The 31-year-old has spent 11 seasons with the Senators since being drafted by the team second overall in the 2001 NHL Draft. He has amassed 687 points in 686 career regular-season games with the Senators, plus another 52 points in 56 post-season appearances.