GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ Pittsburgh Penguins - 1:00pm ET - FRI. Nov. 26, 2010

Big Ev wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

Dash wrote:I would have kept Heatley around. If he disliked being in Ottawa so much he would have eventually accepted any deal. He would not have caused distraction - he would have played his way off the team one way or another. His teammates would not have let him be a problem either.

Plain and simple, for reasons still unknown the public, he was unhappy in Ottawa and wanted out.

So you would have lost him for nothing, slowly, instead of gaining Michalek and the rental services of Sutton (and that albatross that was Cheechoo's contract, granted)? All while playing $7.5 mil a year for a player who wouldn't have played well for us and you would poisoned the room?

Rock and hard place. BM took the better of two bad options.

How can people still believe this? We literally got nothing for Heatley as it's looking like Michalek is dead weight (for this season at least).

We chose Clouston over Heatley. Clouston won't be the coach after this year, most likely. Wow.

You can't let one petulant player determine whether or not the coach stays. Simple as that.

Big Ev wrote:
How can people still believe this? We literally got nothing for Heatley as it's looking like Michalek is dead weight (for this season at least).

We chose Clouston over Heatley. Clouston won't be the coach after this year, most likely. Wow.

Michalek isn't 'nothing', come on Big Ev, I'm sure you would agree that Michalek is a nice player having some terrible luck. He'll be fine.

Big Ev wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

Dash wrote:I would have kept Heatley around. If he disliked being in Ottawa so much he would have eventually accepted any deal. He would not have caused distraction - he would have played his way off the team one way or another. His teammates would not have let him be a problem either.

Plain and simple, for reasons still unknown the public, he was unhappy in Ottawa and wanted out.

So you would have lost him for nothing, slowly, instead of gaining Michalek and the rental services of Sutton (and that albatross that was Cheechoo's contract, granted)? All while playing $7.5 mil a year for a player who wouldn't have played well for us and you would poisoned the room?

Rock and hard place. BM took the better of two bad options.

How can people still believe this? We literally got nothing for Heatley as it's looking like Michalek is dead weight (for this season at least).

We chose Clouston over Heatley. Clouston won't be the coach after this year, most likely. Wow.

I guess you must be tight with Heatley to know the reason(s) he wanted out of Ottawa. Next time you're talking to him tell him I think he is a prick.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:
How can people still believe this? We literally got nothing for Heatley as it's looking like Michalek is dead weight (for this season at least).

We chose Clouston over Heatley. Clouston won't be the coach after this year, most likely. Wow.

Michalek isn't 'nothing', come on Big Ev, I'm sure you would agree that Michalek is a nice player having some terrible luck. He'll be fine.

I'll be shocked if he eclipses 25 goals in a season once during the duration of his contract.

I'm praying he makes me eat my words too.

SDH89 wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Big Ev wrote:
How can people still believe this? We literally got nothing for Heatley as it's looking like Michalek is dead weight (for this season at least).

We chose Clouston over Heatley. Clouston won't be the coach after this year, most likely. Wow.

Michalek isn't 'nothing', come on Big Ev, I'm sure you would agree that Michalek is a nice player having some terrible luck. He'll be fine.

I'll be shocked if he eclipses 25 goals in a season once during the duration of his contract.

I'm praying he makes me eat my words too.

I'd be more than happy if he could put up 25 on a consistent basis.

Oglethorpe wrote:I guess you must be tight with Heatley to know the reason(s) he wanted out of Ottawa. Next time you're talking to him tell him I think he is a prick.

Also ask him why his goal totals are so substantially down from the CASH days. He'll be lucky to hit 39 goals this year, I'd like to hear from him why that is. Tougher checking? Diminished role? His legs are breaking down? He was ridiculously lucky to catch Alfredsson in the prime of his career?

Big Ev wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

Dash wrote:I would have kept Heatley around. If he disliked being in Ottawa so much he would have eventually accepted any deal. He would not have caused distraction - he would have played his way off the team one way or another. His teammates would not have let him be a problem either.

Plain and simple, for reasons still unknown the public, he was unhappy in Ottawa and wanted out.

So you would have lost him for nothing, slowly, instead of gaining Michalek and the rental services of Sutton (and that albatross that was Cheechoo's contract, granted)? All while playing $7.5 mil a year for a player who wouldn't have played well for us and you would poisoned the room?

Rock and hard place. BM took the better of two bad options.

How can people still believe this? We literally got nothing for Heatley as it's looking like Michalek is dead weight (for this season at least).

We chose Clouston over Heatley. Clouston won't be the coach after this year, most likely. Wow.

Keeping Heatley would have been a bigger fiasco than any trade fleecing, and caused far more long-term damage. The guy would have been a big spoiled baby and would have torn the team apart, and the team would have been a mess until we traded him for even less.

So, the question is, how can anyone still seriously believe that we had any other choice or alternatives? Heatley set his market value so low that it was clear we weren't getting anything from him, and it was equally clear he was going to make things rough on everyone until he got his way.

I don't know why this is so hard to understand. We didn't get fair value, at all, for sure -- but we never were going to, and he wasn't going to play well for this team, and he was in fact going to tear it apart until he got his way.

You're living in Fantasy Hockey Land if you think things could have went otherwise or turned out any better.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Oglethorpe wrote:I guess you must be tight with Heatley to know the reason(s) he wanted out of Ottawa. Next time you're talking to him tell him I think he is a prick.

Also ask him why his goal totals are so substantially down from the CASH days. He'll be lucky to hit 39 goals this year, I'd like to hear from him why that is. Tougher checking? Diminished role? His legs are breaking down? He was ridiculously lucky to catch Alfredsson in the prime of his career?

I hate Heatley as much as the next guy, but I'd kill to have a 39 goal scorer on this team.

Big Ev wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

Dash wrote:I would have kept Heatley around. If he disliked being in Ottawa so much he would have eventually accepted any deal. He would not have caused distraction - he would have played his way off the team one way or another. His teammates would not have let him be a problem either.

Plain and simple, for reasons still unknown the public, he was unhappy in Ottawa and wanted out.

So you would have lost him for nothing, slowly, instead of gaining Michalek and the rental services of Sutton (and that albatross that was Cheechoo's contract, granted)? All while playing $7.5 mil a year for a player who wouldn't have played well for us and you would poisoned the room?

Rock and hard place. BM took the better of two bad options.

How can people still believe this? We literally got nothing for Heatley as it's looking like Michalek is dead weight (for this season at least).

We chose Clouston over Heatley. Clouston won't be the coach after this year, most likely. Wow.

Indeed, my reaction to this post

Michalek is in worse shape than Heatley. Heatley would have played in Ottawa... pretty sure he said that. I really don't think Murray had to pull the trigger on that deal. He's not a good trader, that is certain.

By the way, those two 2nd round picks we gave up for guys not playing here anymore.... could have been some nice scoring depth. Guys like Benn and others who are 25-30+ NHL goal scorers were 2nd-3rd round draft picks.

Dash wrote:Michalek is in worse shape than Heatley. Heatley would have played in Ottawa... pretty sure he said that. I really don't think Murray had to pull the trigger on that deal. He's not a good trader, that is certain.

By the way, those two 2nd round picks we gave up for guys not playing here anymore.... could have been some nice scoring depth. Guys like Benn and others who are 25-30+ NHL goal scorers were 2nd-3rd round draft picks.

And what was Alfie? Sixth round? Those picks also could have yielded players that never sign an ELC or who never make it to play even a game in the NHL. The hindsight approach to the draft is never useful. Sutton and Cullen didn't stick around, but that doesn't mean the picks were wasted. Murray took a chance on them, similar to the way he'd be taking a chance on a player that he drafts.

Again, looking back at the draft to say, "We could have gotten player x if we'd held on to that pick," isn't a good way to approach it. You'd be the best scout in the world if you could draft retroactively.

SDH89 wrote:I hate Heatley as much as the next guy, but I'd kill to have a 39 goal scorer on this team.

Go get one then. This summer Semin's available to the highest bidder, the Lightning will want to shed salary because of Stamkos, there's tons of scenarios. If you're willing to pay 7.5 million, you can get a 35 goal scorer.

Dash wrote:Michalek is in worse shape than Heatley. Heatley would have played in Ottawa... pretty sure he said that. I really don't think Murray had to pull the trigger on that deal. He's not a good trader, that is certain.

By the way, those two 2nd round picks we gave up for guys not playing here anymore.... could have been some nice scoring depth. Guys like Benn and others who are 25-30+ NHL goal scorers were 2nd-3rd round draft picks.

I agree that Michalek looks broken. I hope that his lack of speed this year is just temporary while his knee keeps getting healthier, but I have my doubts. Saying that Heatley would have played here is not the point. I am sure he would have played, to take home his money, but he would have been a shell of what he has been in SJ. Murray had to move him. If the Edmonton deal would have gone through we would have been slightly better off. Cogliano brings speed, if little else. Penner probably would have had his 20+ goals and Smid would have been the stay at home Dman we are currently missing. Saying Murray made a bad trade is misleading, he had a better one that Heatley refused, after saying he would be open to Edmonton.

SpezDispenser wrote:

SDH89 wrote:I hate Heatley as much as the next guy, but I'd kill to have a 39 goal scorer on this team.

Go get one then. This summer Semin's available to the highest bidder, the Lightning will want to shed salary because of Stamkos, there's tons of scenarios. If you're willing to pay 7.5 million, you can get a 35 goal scorer.

The team that pays Semin that much is going to regret it for years to come. That one is money in the bank.

Lecavalier will probably become available, but who wants him with that contract? And he hasn't played great hockey in years.

I don't know if there's a lot of great options this year, to be honest. The key for OTT really is, if you ask me, to start stockpiling some good young forward prospects. The teams who chase after the FA talent almost always get burned. For every 1 success story (I can't think of great examples here, honestly ), there are 10 teams burnt by bad FA signings and bloated contracts.

You don't build teams through FA; you do it through drafts and, occasionally, savvy trades.

rooneypoo wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

SDH89 wrote:I hate Heatley as much as the next guy, but I'd kill to have a 39 goal scorer on this team.

Go get one then. This summer Semin's available to the highest bidder, the Lightning will want to shed salary because of Stamkos, there's tons of scenarios. If you're willing to pay 7.5 million, you can get a 35 goal scorer.

The team that pays Semin that much is going to regret it for years to come. That one is money in the bank.

Lecavalier will probably become available, but who wants him with that contract? And he hasn't played great hockey in years.

I don't know if there's a lot of great options this year, to be honest. The key for OTT really is, if you ask me, to start stockpiling some good young forward prospects. The teams who chase after the FA talent almost always get burned. For every 1 success story (I can't think of great examples here, honestly ), there are 10 teams burnt by bad FA signings and bloated contracts.

You don't build teams through FA; you do it through drafts and, occasionally, savvy trades.

Cammalleri was a good one. I was happy Murray didn't get him when I saw the term and dollars, but in retrospect I was wrong.

Oglethorpe wrote:

Dash wrote:Michalek is in worse shape than Heatley. Heatley would have played in Ottawa... pretty sure he said that. I really don't think Murray had to pull the trigger on that deal. He's not a good trader, that is certain.

By the way, those two 2nd round picks we gave up for guys not playing here anymore.... could have been some nice scoring depth. Guys like Benn and others who are 25-30+ NHL goal scorers were 2nd-3rd round draft picks.

I agree that Michalek looks broken. I hope that his lack of speed this year is just temporary while his knee keeps getting healthier, but I have my doubts. Saying that Heatley would have played here is not the point. I am sure he would have played, to take home his money, but he would have been a shell of what he has been in SJ. Murray had to move him. If the Edmonton deal would have gone through we would have been slightly better off. Cogliano brings speed, if little else. Penner probably would have had his 20+ goals and Smid would have been the stay at home Dman we are currently missing. Saying Murray made a bad trade is misleading, he had a better one that Heatley refused, after saying he would be open to Edmonton.

Heatley would have played his Donkey off IMO.

Reason being, he had the Olympics to play for. No way would he have dogged it in Ottawa and risked his spot on the home-soil Olympic team. After the games are over and the gold meadal has been won, that is when his value is at it's peak. Plus teams can also now afford to take his salary at half price; that is when he should have been traded.

You would surely get more than two broken down players with a history of career limiting injuries.

Roche, you have way more faith in Heatley than I do. I honestly think we would have seen 2 minutes shifts, constant complaining in the media, selfish penalties, etc.. He has proven to be a class A fuckface.

Oglethorpe wrote:Roche, you have way more faith in Heatley than I do. I honestly think we would have seen 2 minutes shifts, constant complaining in the media, selfish penalties, etc.. He has proven to be a class A fuckface.

I wouldn't call it faith, but I just think he would have been motivated by the Olympics.

Do you think he would have pouted his way off of Team Canada? I don't. And that is exactly what would have happened if he dogged it in Ottawa. Plus, the distraction the media would have surely created would have been enough for GM Yzerman to say no thanks to Heatley IMO.