Bryan Murray Vs Dany Heatley: Who Blinks First?

He's got a point, but he's way over the top with it. Sure, Heatley is being criticized way more than he needs to be, but on the flip side Molloy is not really telling it like it is. Dany Heatley *could be* a much, much better player by buying into the coach's game plan.

His shifts *are* too long and his backchecking *is* very poor, and he spends way too much time waiting for a pass instead of trying to make a play, take the puck away, etc. We've all seen him do it and be very effective at it.

I've always felt that when he plays with Spezza, he plays complacent, wait for the shot, hockey. That's why when Spezza is injured, his point totals shoot up, because he creates his own chances.

But really, for me, that article just seemed to solidify the stance that he doesn't see himself as part of a team. He doesn't care that the team was winning, what he cares about is that they were winning without him contributing. You can be sure that his 'closed door' meetings with Clouston, Clouston wasn't promising him more minutes unconditionally. If Heatley wants more minutes, he needs to earn them. He seems to think that his contract entitles him to certain priviledges, like 20 minutes a game, and being left alone. He's wrong... Buddy needs to get over himself.

I also don't understand the mother's point of, because he plays for team Canada during the summers, he has character. It should be an honour to play for your country, if you don't think so, leave, and give the spot to someone who will take pride in the fact.

I can't believe that Molloy letter. He says "Alfie is a God", well, he also plays on the 2nd line from time to time, and he doesn't Wing Dang Doodle and complain about it!

This Molloy guy and Dany's parents have absolutely no argument here. He plays for team Canada, well so do a whole whack of other players. His ice time dropped off, do your job, play hard and you'll be rewarded with more ice time!

That letter just makes Dany's trade request look that much more rediculous and childish. If Dany and his parents want people to lay off, all he has to do is speak for himself. Explain his actions and move on. Stop hiding behind your parents and former coaches.

If Dany wants out because Ottawa is a "sinking ship", this won't be the last time he wants out of an organization. The guy doesn't want to stick around to help the Senators or his teammates get out of their funk, so he's requested a trade, taking the easy way out. Good riddance Dany, if that's the case. He deserves the bashing for his incredibly selfish actions!

Some people play golf; some prefer hockey. International-level hockey is probably a lot less brutal than the NHL, so while it's not the same as a beer league, it's probably just ad enjoyable as playing golf or any one of a number of different forms of recreation.

Nobody puts someone on a pedestal because they "give up their weekends" rappelling some cliffs, so how does that make this any different? You get your way paid, it's actually a nice time.

And, yeah, you get that whole representing your Country thing.

So for the better part of two years, since the trip to the SCF, Ottawa has been criticized for being a one-line team. Clouston comes in, and instead of keeping a one-line team intact, shifts to a system where there's a 1A/1B line (Alfie on the second is surely not a second line). In the process, Heatley's ice time goes down, yet his points per game actually goes up. In addition, the team is winning more.

It comes down to this -

Heatley was unhappy because he:

• got more points per game (assists and goals) despite doing less work per game
  
• was given the opportunity to take leadership of a second "power" line, instead of sharing the spotlight on a single one
  
• was given the "A" over players that have been recognized as long-standing leaders in the dressing room
  
• was being $10M for the season, and $7.5M per season for 5 seasons, for the privilege of being coddled by the Senators organization, in order to help him mentally overcome his issues in Atlanta
  
• didn't get enough pats on the back (outside of those he gave himself) for playing well in the World Championships, even though he crapped the bed in the playoffs for Ottawa just days earlier
  

It's a good thing he had his Mommy's friend write that letter, because I would never have understood the situation otherwise.

[pity all those who were coached by Molloy in the past - if this is really how he sees things, then he must have had all sorts of team chemistry issues]

Acrobat wrote:So for the better part of two years, since the trip to the SCF, Ottawa has been criticized for being a one-line team. Clouston comes in, and instead of keeping a one-line team intact, shifts to a system where there's a 1A/1B line (Alfie on the second is surely not a second line). In the process, Heatley's ice time goes down, yet his points per game actually goes up. In addition, the team is winning more.

It comes down to this -

Heatley was unhappy because he:

• got more points per game (assists and goals) despite doing less work per game
  
• was given the opportunity to take leadership of a second "power" line, instead of sharing the spotlight on a single one
  
• was given the "A" over players that have been recognized as long-standing leaders in the dressing room
  
• was being $10M for the season, and $7.5M per season for 5 seasons, for the privilege of being coddled by the Senators organization, in order to help him mentally overcome his issues in Atlanta
  
• didn't get enough pats on the back (outside of those he gave himself) for playing well in the World Championships, even though he crapped the bed in the playoffs for Ottawa just days earlier
  

It's a good thing he had his Mommy's friend write that letter, because I would never have understood the situation otherwise.

[pity all those who were coached by Molloy in the past - if this is really how he sees things, then he must have had all sorts of team chemistry issues]

Hell, he was wearing the C for a few games.

I can't believe he wants out because Clouston called him inconsistent and put him on the second powerplay unit. There's got to be something more.

asq2 wrote:

Acrobat wrote:So for the better part of two years, since the trip to the SCF, Ottawa has been criticized for being a one-line team. Clouston comes in, and instead of keeping a one-line team intact, shifts to a system where there's a 1A/1B line (Alfie on the second is surely not a second line). In the process, Heatley's ice time goes down, yet his points per game actually goes up. In addition, the team is winning more.

It comes down to this -

Heatley was unhappy because he:

• got more points per game (assists and goals) despite doing less work per game
  
• was given the opportunity to take leadership of a second "power" line, instead of sharing the spotlight on a single one
  
• was given the "A" over players that have been recognized as long-standing leaders in the dressing room
  
• was being $10M for the season, and $7.5M per season for 5 seasons, for the privilege of being coddled by the Senators organization, in order to help him mentally overcome his issues in Atlanta
  
• didn't get enough pats on the back (outside of those he gave himself) for playing well in the World Championships, even though he crapped the bed in the playoffs for Ottawa just days earlier
  

It's a good thing he had his Mommy's friend write that letter, because I would never have understood the situation otherwise.

[pity all those who were coached by Molloy in the past - if this is really how he sees things, then he must have had all sorts of team chemistry issues]

Hell, he was wearing the C for a few games.

I can't believe he wants out because Clouston called him inconsistent and put him on the second powerplay unit. There's got to be something more.

Yeah, like Clouston Diddle-ed his mom and peed on his lawn and slapped around his GF. None of this makes much sense to me. I wish Heatley'd speak for himself, and honestly. After all the money and opportunity we've given him, I think we deserve at least that.

asq2 wrote:

Acrobat wrote:So for the better part of two years, since the trip to the SCF, Ottawa has been criticized for being a one-line team. Clouston comes in, and instead of keeping a one-line team intact, shifts to a system where there's a 1A/1B line (Alfie on the second is surely not a second line). In the process, Heatley's ice time goes down, yet his points per game actually goes up. In addition, the team is winning more.

It comes down to this -

Heatley was unhappy because he:

• got more points per game (assists and goals) despite doing less work per game
  
• was given the opportunity to take leadership of a second "power" line, instead of sharing the spotlight on a single one
  
• was given the "A" over players that have been recognized as long-standing leaders in the dressing room
  
• was being $10M for the season, and $7.5M per season for 5 seasons, for the privilege of being coddled by the Senators organization, in order to help him mentally overcome his issues in Atlanta
  
• didn't get enough pats on the back (outside of those he gave himself) for playing well in the World Championships, even though he crapped the bed in the playoffs for Ottawa just days earlier
  

It's a good thing he had his Mommy's friend write that letter, because I would never have understood the situation otherwise.

[pity all those who were coached by Molloy in the past - if this is really how he sees things, then he must have had all sorts of team chemistry issues]

Hell, he was wearing the C for a few games.

I can't believe he wants out because Clouston called him inconsistent and put him on the second powerplay unit. There's got to be something more.

Yeah, like Clouston Diddle-ed his mom and peed on his lawn and slapped around his GF. None of this makes much sense to me. I wish Heatley'd speak for himself, and honestly. After all the money and opportunity we've given him, I think we deserve at least that.

I think we'll eventually get it but ... be patient it won't happen for a while

And, this, according to the reports, folks, where the situation stands as of 1:47 AM Eastern time this morning...

MCKENZIE: HEATLEY DEAL TO OILERS ON HOLD, FOR NOW
Bob McKenzie. TSN.ca, July 1, 2009

The first thing you should know is that the Dany Heatley trade to Edmonton is not officially dead. At least not yet.

It's true that Dany Heatley did not waive his no-movement clause when requested by the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night, but that isn't to say it's not still possible for him to waive it on Wednesday. He has, technically speaking, not issued an outright refusal to move.

The confusion on all of this surrounded a perceived deadline of midnight Tuesday night for the Senators to move Heatley.

The Senators owe Heatley a $4 million signing bonus, to be paid on July 1 (today).

The widely-held belief was that if the Senators didn't trade Heatley by July 1, or at midnight Tuesday night, they would be stuck paying it and the expenditure would drastically alter the dynamic of any Heatley trade and what the Senators expect to get in return.

Ottawa had agreed to a deal with the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night that would have sent Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner and Ladislav Smid to the Senators in exchange for Heatley. Heatley was asked to waive his no-movement clause by the Senators but he didn't oblige. Which is not the same thing as an outright or unequivocal rejection.

The Senators are still on the clock in their window to trade Heatley without absorbing the cost of the $4 million signing bonus and will be until 11:59 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday night.

So while the Senators are painfully aware now that Heatley would in all likelihood prefer not to go to Edmonton, and might look more favorably on a deal to, say, the New York Rangers, another team that was engaged in serious talks with the Senators on Tuesday night, nothing has been settled with any degree of certainty.

No one should suggest Heatley is prepared to waive his no-movement clause to go to Edmonton any more than it should be suggested he absolutely won't.

That final decision has not been made because Heatley's agent, J.P. Barry, believed the actual deadline was at 11:59 p.m. eastern on Wednesday night, not 11:59 p.m. eastern on Tuesday night.

So the soap opera continues, and likely will for the better part of Canada Day and the NHL's annual free-agent frenzy.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=283382
---

Put him on the 3rd line and let him rot. What an SOB!

The New York Times opines on 'The Heatley Conundrum'...and the reactions by the Ottawa media.

SENS' DILEMMA
Stu Hackel, THE MORNING SKATE, SlapShot.blogs.NYTimes.com, June 29, 2009

Will Dany Heatley be hitting the road?

Both Ottawa newspapers today conclude that following Senators G.M. Bryan Murray’s search for a trading partner, no one wants the disgruntled, high-scoring, high-priced wing.

Allen Panzeri, in The Citizen, discounts the legitimacy of the rumors that had Heatley coming to the Rangers for Mikael Rozival and Nik Zherdev as “the wishful thinking of a New York Post columnist” that “seems to have morphed into the New York Rangers’ offer.”

“It’s difficult to believe that a 50-goal scorer of Heatley’s ability could be unwanted — maybe even untradeable — but that’s the stark reality Murray must confront as the days count down to July 1, the day the Senators must pay Heatley a $4-million U.S. signing bonus,” writes Panzeri. “Heatley’s contract, which has five years to go at an average salary cap hit of $7.5 million, is too expensive.

“As attractive as Heatley is as a player, teams have been asking themselves this: Why go after Heatley when it might be possible to sign a free agent such as Marian Hossa, Marian Gaborik or Martin Havlat without having to give up something in return?”

Don Brennan wonders in The Sun if no one deals for Heatley, will he report to Sens camp in September, and thinks not. Brennan doesn’t seem to like Heatley, or at least have much regard for his character (as he displayed earlier this month after Heatley demanded a trade).

Of course, Gaborik and Havlat have histories of injuries and there’s only one Hossa on the market, so Heatley hasn’t really disappeared from the landscape. It’s just that no G.M. wants to stick his owner with a $4 million bonus if he can wait a few days and avoid it.

Murray says he won’t trade Heatley if his owner has to pay that bonus, but if Brennan is right and Heatley doesn’t report, it’s doubtful the Senators won’t eventually trade him.

There’s lots of ill will here and that tends to cloud the picture.

But, if they are objective, the question for Ottawa should be at what point can they get the most return for Heatley?

And the off-season, when teams can more easily manipulate their salary cap, would seem to be when they can rustle up the most interest and conduct some sort of auction.

Eugene Melnyk, Sens owner, won’t be happy eating that bonus, but he may have to make the best of a bad situation.

jamvan wrote:Put him on the 3rd line and let him rot. What an SOB!

I like a 4th line of Heatley - Bass - Donovan

In all of this, you have to wonder if Mr Heatley isn't somewhere counting his money, playing golf and shrugging his shoulders at the whole thing...

Being a young multi-millionaire has its advantages.

And what if Dany really doesn't care what people think?

He's a talented hockey player, and he may just believe that chances are someone will want him, and at some point, he gets the deal HE wants.

As unpleasant as that may sound to some...

call the franker's bluff then. He's gotta be thinking at this point that coming back to Ottawa would be pretty nightmarish.

rooneypoo wrote:Yeah, like Clouston Diddle-ed his mom and peed on his lawn and slapped around his GF. None of this makes much sense to me. I wish Heatley'd speak for himself, and honestly. After all the money and opportunity we've given him, I think we deserve at least that.

That's exactly how Atlanta fans felt when he wanted out there.

davetherave wrote:
And the off-season, when teams can more easily manipulate their salary cap, would seem to be when they can rustle up the most interest and conduct some sort of auction.

Eugene Melnyk, Sens owner, won’t be happy eating that bonus, but he may have to make the best of a bad situation.

I agree with that take. It may be whats best for the team, assuming someone is that willing to pony up the assets, but that unwilling to pay the 4M...

ESPN's Pierre Lebrun gives us this as of 11:45 ET today:

COUNTDOWN TO NHL FREE AGENCY BLOG/ESPN.COM

LeBrun (11:45 a.m. ET): Dany Heatley never said no. Not yet anyway.

Heatley's agent, J.P. Barry, who was in Stockholm with the Sedin twins, told ESPN.com on Wednesday that Heatley needed time to consider a possible trade to the Edmonton Oilers, but never rejected the deal outright.

The star winger will make up his mind today. A $4 million bonus is owed to him at midnight ET, so that is a deadline of sorts for the Ottawa Senators to deal him away.

A deal is in place with the Oilers to send Heatley to Edmonton in exchange for forwards Andrew Cogliano and Dustin Penner and defenseman Ladislav Smid. The deal could happen today if Heatley waives his no-trade clause.