Spector's take on Heatley

I thought Spector has some good things to say about the whole situation.

Brennan seems to be taking Heatley's trade request
personally, treating him as though the winger is a traitor. Regardless,
I believe this is a great opportunity for the Senators to address their
depth issues, and if Murray can land a puck-moving blueliner, a top six
scoring winger and a first round pick for Heatley that'll go a long way
toward improving the team. Heatley wants out, yes, it's a shock, but
it's pointless to engage in character assassination. Look ahead instead
for what Murray could land to help the Senators and let Heatley be
another team's "problem".

http://www.spectorshockey.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=102:the-heatley-watch-june-12-2009&catid=5:trade-rumors&Itemid=4




I like that someone as unbiased as Spector thinks it's quite reasonable for the Senators to expect a strong blueliner, a top forward, and a top pick. Even more important is his statement that character assassination is pointless and that guys like Brennan seem to be taking this personally. This makes a lot of sense. I think there are a few guys on this site who definitely fall into this category. It may be a shock, but Ottawa will be better for it, so why bother getting so upset?

I am one of those that initially was fired up, but now have calmed down realizing this is going to be for the greater good of the team. Fisher was pretty shocked about the whole thing as well, putting it more on Heatley making this decision, not his agents.

I just posted in another thread that it's actually a good thing that Heatley is asking for a trade. How bad would it be if he continued sulking about Clouston, playing without any heart, sucking up the $7.5M cap space and forcing us to trade someone who wants to be here just because they don't have a No-Trade clause?

Now that would suck. This? This is good!

Well, you can't help but take it personally in the beginning... we cheer these guys on night in and night out... spend money to see them play... live and die with them. And then to hear he wants to be traded because he doesn't like the way Clouston wants him to work... after making $10M and being the highest paid player in the NHL?

Damn right I'm taking this personally!

But, I think we all realize now that it will be better in the end for the Sens and hopefully gives us the cap relief we need.

Cooler heads will prevail, and in Murray we trust.

I like the potential of what this trade can bring. I never got attached to Heatley as a Senator anyway because he was a constant reminder that my favourite Senator, Hossa, was gone for good. I liked the contribution on the score board and I liked what he brought to the team up until this season. I liked even less what he brought to the team while wearing the "A" and I really disliked the decline in his play under Clouston while all others seemed to improve under him.

To me what bothered me the most was him getting the "A" ahead of Fisher and doing what he did with it.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I like the potential of what this trade can bring. I never got attached to Heatley as a Senator anyway because he was a constant reminder that my favourite Senator, Hossa, was gone for good. I liked the contribution on the score board and I liked what he brought to the team up until this season. I liked even less what he brought to the team while wearing the "A" and I really disliked the decline in his play under Clouston while all others seemed to improve under him.

To me what bothered me the most was him getting the "A" ahead of Fisher and doing what he did with it.

Odd how that is eh? Everyone else got better with Clouston but he didn't... I think we have to look at this as a good thing, keeping him around would not have worked out with Clouston and who knows what the impact would be on the team/locker room... again...

Exactly Shabbs. It would have been one thing to see him continue to struggle but Heatley actually got worse. Not even maintaining his level of play from earlier in the season.

Is there any remote chance whatsoever that this is a rumour, or things will work out, and it will all blow over?

HowieMorenz wrote:Is there any remote chance whatsoever that this is a rumour, or things will work out, and it will all blow over?

No way this is a rumour. Not with Murray's comments, Heatley's agents comments. If so then a lot of people and a lot of legitimate news outlets like ESPN, NHL, Sportsnet, TSN etc... will have egg on their faces big time.

HowieMorenz wrote:Is there any remote chance whatsoever that this is a rumour, or things will work out, and it will all blow over?

Yeah, you will wake up tomorrow morning, hear the water running in the shower, draw back the curtain ... and see Dany smiling back. :^^^^:

P.S. I hope you're not too young to have seen the season 8 premier of Dallas, where they essentially wiped out the previous season's shocking death of a main character as being someone's dream.

wprager wrote:

HowieMorenz wrote:Is there any remote chance whatsoever that this is a rumour, or things will work out, and it will all blow over?

Yeah, you will wake up tomorrow morning, hear the water running in the shower, draw back the curtain ... and see Dany smiling back. :^^^^:

P.S.

I take it there's more odds of Heatley ending up in my shower than returning to the senators?

They prolly trade him on draft day ....

HowieMorenz wrote:

wprager wrote:

HowieMorenz wrote:Is there any remote chance whatsoever that this is a rumour, or things will work out, and it will all blow over?

Yeah, you will wake up tomorrow morning, hear the water running in the shower, draw back the curtain ... and see Dany smiling back. :^^^^:

P.S.

I take it there's more odds of Heatley ending up in my shower than returning to the senators?

They prolly trade him on draft day ....

would you like him in your shower?

HowieMorenz wrote:Is there any remote chance whatsoever that this is a rumour, or things will work out, and it will all blow over?

This is real and there's no going back. As long as Murray works his magic, it will be all good.

Mojo wrote:

HowieMorenz wrote:Is there any remote chance whatsoever that this is a rumour, or things will work out, and it will all blow over?

This is real and there's no going back. As long as Murray works his magic, it will be all good.

Heatley would never be allowed back in Clouston's locker room anymore after this, he would be the whipping boy and the other players would resent him.

SensFan71 wrote:

Mojo wrote:

HowieMorenz wrote:Is there any remote chance whatsoever that this is a rumour, or things will work out, and it will all blow over?

This is real and there's no going back. As long as Murray works his magic, it will be all good.

Heatley would never be allowed back in Clouston's locker room anymore after this, he would be the whipping boy and the other players would resent him.

Agreed at this stage with the backlash from the fans its caused one can only wonder how every team member is thinking. Murray, Clouston and the Sens don't need another side show going into training camp.