"Heatley a Shark?" plus other Sens and non-Sens chat

Heatley heats up Sharks' trade rumors

Mark Purdy, San Jose Mercury News, August 1 2009

In case you are wondering — or even if you're not — Doug Wilson is still angry.
Definitely still angry.

I discovered this the other day when I phoned the Sharks' general manager to discuss trade rumors that are floating around our beloved Los Tiburones.

Wilson, who after the Sharks' first-round playoff elimination lividly promised to rule out no potential roster moves, had an edge to his voice while saying his stance remained the same. But he declined to be quoted on any specific names or deals.

"I've been quoted enough this summer," Wilson said.

No quote? No problem. Plenty of other folk across the continent have been commenting and writing about what might be next for the Sharks.

Including, among other tantalizing things: Dany Heatley.

If you've been scoring at home, Wilson has already made a number of changes on the Sharks' third and fourth offensive lines. Most significantly, he has said goodbye to Marcel Goc and Mike Grier while acquiring Nashville pepper-roaster Scott Nichol.

But if Heatley should leave the Ottawa Senators and join the Sharks for 2009-10 ... well, that would be a major earthquake on ice. He's a five-time NHL All-Star and former 50-goal scorer who helped take Ottawa to the 2007 Stanley Cup finals.

Heatley would bring a radical new upgrade into the Shark universe.

And know what? After spending an afternoon on the horn with knowledgeable league voices, I would not be stunned to hear in the next couple of months that Heatley is indeed moving to San Jose.


At first blush, Heatley would not seem to fit into the standard Doug Wilson template. Heatley has raised hackles in Ottawa since last spring, when word leaked that he had demanded a trade. Heatley was reportedly dissatisfied with Senators Coach Cory Clouston over diminished ice time. Another story was that Heatley had demanded to be named team captain.

And finally, after the Senators tried to honor his request and worked out a trade that would have sent Heatley to Edmonton, he used his no-trade clause to veto the deal.

None of that jibes with the Wilson preference for team-first players who don't make waves off the ice. But that apparently has not prevented the Sharks' G.M. from lobbing some trade bait in Ottawa's direction. And the closer you look at the picture, you can see why Wilson's presumed objections might dissolve.

For example, one of Wilson's good friends in hockey is Steve Yzerman, who is serving as executive director of the 2010 Canadian Olympic team. Yzerman invited Heatley to this month's preliminary Olympic training camp. Would Yzerman have done so if Heatley were that much of a sore-butt pain?

Also, Heatley's contract was thought to be a thorny problem. As an unofficial rule, nobody on the Sharks' roster can earn more than Joe Thornton, who will make $7.2 million next season. Heatley was on track to make $8 million. However, $4 million of that was a bonus that the Senators were forced to pay him last month when they couldn't move him before July 1. Heatley's actual salary for 2009-10, therefore, will be $4 million.

Finally, it can be easy to read between the lines and see where Heatley would like to play. His refusal to play in Edmonton might have been a message that he actually wants to be a Shark. He is known to love California.

Plus, here's another little tidbit that may or may not matter but probably does: Wayne Thomas, the Sharks' assistant general manager, was the college roommate of Heatley's father at the University of Wisconsin. Hmmmmmm.

You're probably wondering what the Sharks have to give up for Heatley. The Oilers' aborted attempt might provide a clue. It was widely reported that the Edmontons offered Ottawa a package of three players — Dustin Penner, Andrew Cogliano and Ladislav Smid.

This would be the rough equivalent to the Sharks offering up Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. One report in the Canadian media had Wilson dangling Cheechoo and Christian Ehrhoff for Heatley. Must not have been enough.

What would be? That brings us to Patrick Marleau, the Sharks' captain. He also has a no-trade clause, with just one season left on his contract. He took a ton of heat, from me and others, for the playoff loss. Marleau said last month that he could accept the loss of the "C" on his sweater if it helped the team. But he has not mentioned whether he would drop his no-trade rights.

The precise reality is hard to pin down. But surveying the landscape, this is what the situation appears to be:

Heatley is trying to find a way to get to San Jose. Wilson is still mad enough to think about making a major change at the top of his roster but is not stupid enough to make an illogical trade and is waiting out the Senators. Marleau may or may not be part of any deal but knows that if he returns, he won't be the team captain and might want to leave for a breath of fresh air.

It's two months until the opening faceoff. But sometime between now and then, Wilson might have some interesting quotes.

At a Dany Heatley press conference.

Prospect wise, I want both McGinn and Couture - two 67s :D

Those would both be acceptable in lieu of a first round pick.

And then for the Sharks to make room, a package of 2-3 players.
Vlasic = 3.1
Cheechoo = 3
Marleau = 6.3
Michalek = 4.3
Clowe = 3.625

SJ can't possibly give up two or three of those guys, and two prospects, cause they need to fill those holes cheaply. Vlasic is a top 4 dman for them, and Michalek, Cheechoo, and Clowe top 6 wingers. Marleau is a top line forward as well.

So Heatley may or may not be a Shark within the next two months for in exchange for unknown players? Intriguing. :??:

Read some interesting comments over at another board. First, that the silence from the Heatley camp may indicate that the Sharks (assumed) have been in touch and told them to sit tight until they can clear the room for him. The second, that the (relatively) sudden withdrawal be Edmonton may indicate that they know of San Jose's plans and realize that they'd never win against a team reportedly at the top of his white list.

Garrioch has an article at the Sun saying there is strong talk of a three-way trade with Montreal.

This is the most EKian article I have ever read in mainstream news. It was just missing...

Dominoes!

PKC wrote:Garrioch has an article at the Sun saying there is strong talk of a three-way trade with Montreal.

Ah! Brucie finally found sometime to catch up reading the rumor sites.

I'll believe it when I see it. We've heard about SJ been a suitor since minute one of this saga. SJ has also been trying to clear space (coincidentally?) since them. When they actually do something I'll start to believe.

If it is in the mainstream media now, there is something to it. TSN doesnt post crap... There is something there, what it is, it might be a while to figure out.

TSN and RDS have posted it so yeh there migth be something to this one.

This is definitely bizarre...

Anyone else on high alert?!

its only main stream because edmonton dropped out. If SJ was serious they would have put an offical offer together and worry about moving money after the fact. Unless some quality prospects are coming back I don't think they are a good trading partner as we would need to take on some salary. If indeed its a 3way with montreal who do we want from them other than Subban.

Why would you even want Subban? We have 3 Dmen that are already head and shoulders more developed and will more than likely be top 4 D men as opposed to Subban who might not even be good enough to be an every day NHL D man. Most over rated prospect in the league IMO.

As for what we might want from MTL...? Not that I am a fan of his like a lot of other players being mentioned, but Plekanec could very well fit very nicely into that number 2 spot at center in Ottawa. I would have said Higgins before but that ship sailed. I think Pacioretty would be a very solid pick up for The Sens if we were to get him as well. Big, good skater, has the ability to put the puck in the net, pretty good, young player.

Other then that... nothing I can really see Ottawa wanting from Montrea.

Michalek and Vlasic would do nicely. What the heck would be coming for Montreal? Nothing of substance I would imagine.