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“I know Jake Muzzin from Team Canada and John Tavares, and I trained together for years. I’m getting to know some of the younger Marlies guys who’ve been around here this summer. But the hockey world is a small world.”

No one yet knows how coach Mike Babcock will utilize Spezza, who ended last season in Dallas as an effective role player in a first-round win over Nashville before losing to eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis. Spezza insists he won’t be frustrated by a lesser role on a team promoting youth. Right now, Matthews, Tavares and newcomer Alex Kerfoot will likely be the top three centres.

“I can help and make the team deeper,” Spezza said. “We have a chance to be a really strong club. If I can be sharp in the role I’m in, it just makes the team harder to play against.

“You need everybody, especially come playoff time. If your fourth line is playing 12 minutes, it has to be a good 12, it has to be effective and (reflect) the way the team plays.

“The game is not that much faster, but the pace is up, every shift is intense, every game has a lot of implications (in the standings or against potential post-season foes).

“I don’t know how many times you say over the course of the season ‘This is the most important game.’ I feel that’s a newer trend. The good teams always used to be at the top and you knew you were going to make the playoffs. (Now) that comfort level isn’t there for anybody. You have a team with 100 points (such as Toronto the past two seasons), but feel you have to get off to a good start to make the playoffs the next year. That’s where depth comes in.”

He hasn’t cut short his own learning curve.

“This is a time of year when you can really invest in yourself and try to improve some things. The only way to stay sharp in this league is to stay on top of things. The game’s evolving and I’ve always put in a lot of time in the summer. Even when I was near the top of the league (92 points in ’07-08), I felt you could always adjust things.

“Now, as you get older it becomes important to maintain that, especially in skating and technical aspects.”

lhornby@postmedia.com