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

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.

Thanks for the support Roche, glad to know I am not the only one that thinks Heatley would have played his hardest if he had to stay put in Ottawa until a later date.

I also don't think he would want to piss off what friends he had on the team. What you got out of him would have been entirely up to Coach Cory Clouston (or 3C for short).

Also, you might hate Heatley, but he did nothing to the fans. Fans are just mad he wanted out... sure you have the right to be a little pissed off, but its' not like he ever said anything bad about the fans. He would have kept quiet and just played hockey.

Exactly, Heatley would not have quit on his teammates, he never had a problem with them by all acounts.

I'm glad you're all buddies with Dany. As a fan, I did not appreciate the fact that he bunkered down in his little summer palace and would not even grace us with answers. I admired his skill, but I never liked him as a player or otherwise. If he really wasn't an all-I type of guy, he certainly did nothing to undo that image.

Would you take your co-workers feelings into consideration, if you wanted to quit (teammates)? Or clients (fans)?

Come on man.

You make it sound like his happiness is not as important as the fans or the team... it's his life and he did nothign wrong except request a change in his career.

Dash wrote:Would you take your co-workers feelings into consideration, if you wanted to quit (teammates)? Or clients (fans)?

Come on man.

You make it sound like his happiness is not as important as the fans or the team... it's his life and he did nothign wrong except request a change in his career.

After signing a long term, huge money contract with a No Movement Clause and then demand to be moved to a team of his choice, thereby screwing the organization AND by extension HIS TEAMMATES.

Whatever, there's no point in discussing this anymore... I've exhausted the issue and I cannot reason with people who are hell bent on staying mad at a player no longer with the organization. Enjoy losing sleep over how he screwed everyone over.

Dash wrote:Whatever, there's no point in discussing this anymore... I've exhausted the issue and I cannot reason with people who are hell bent on staying mad at a player no longer with the organization. Enjoy losing sleep over how he screwed everyone over.

I find it hillarious that you think people are losing sleep over it. When the topic comes up sure, I and others will comment on how he screwed the team, just like you will comment on how Murray messed up the situation. Really, for your own piece of mind you mind want to get over it, you may sleep better.

rooneypoo wrote:
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.

There will be a ton of trade options IMO. A lot of teams have re-signings to do and will be right at the cap. I'd like to be the recipient of Gagne for a bag of pucks - even though he's had a nightmare season, that was still a great price for a winger like that.

As for Semin, I tend to agree. We might wanna try to stay away from players with bad habits. The only thing I question right now is if we have enough 'character' and now need some silky smooth skill on one of the wings. Yes, Kovalev is playing really well, but think that Semin has 10+ more goals than he does and almost double the points - that's a difference maker that this team could use.

Continue to stockpile forwards though for sure. We need a home run - like Sorenson if he were to ever translate his filthy skills at an elite level.

Big Ev wrote:Exactly, Heatley would not have quit on his teammates, he never had a problem with them by all acounts.

Yeah, LOL, Heatley wouldn't quit on his teammates. That's why he came out and quit on his team all at once, on multiple occasions, instead. LOL. What a joke.

Dash wrote:Whatever, there's no point in discussing this anymore... I've exhausted the issue and I cannot reason with people who are hell bent on staying mad at a player no longer with the organization. Enjoy losing sleep over how he screwed everyone over.

Who's mad? Not me. I was the lone voice around here, when Heatley was still with us, saying there was not point demonizing the guy.

Heatley would have tore this team apart, whether he wanted to or not. The media would have made sure. Losing streak? Heatley. Team not playing for each other? Heatley? Calls not going our way? Heatley. Goalies not playing up to par? Heatley. And on and on. The Sens season would have been over before it started.

That's how it would have went, and only a fool would think differently.

My point was to not keep him forever, it was to keep him and then trade him at the deadline. More teams would have been interested at the deadline (injuries to their players, team needs, playoff hunt etc.) and we would have gotten a more fair return then, IMO.

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.

I agree with this. We need to find a way to develop guys like Chicago did the past 7 years, guys like Bolland, Byfuglien, Versteeg, Brouwer etc. I think guys like Hoffman, Butler, Stone etc in 3-4 years will be able to make the team in a comfortable role.

As for Heatley, having to talk to a guy in your locker room for months that wants out can be absolutely disastrous. It has nothing to do with Heatley's effort on the ice, if you don't have that unity in your locker room, you're dead. Just look at what Avery did to the Stars last year. I think you guys seriously underestimate that point.

Big Ev wrote:Exactly, Heatley would not have quit on his teammates, he never had a problem with them by all acounts.

By some accounts, he did. Again, this all goes back to the fact that Heatley never came out and talked about it himself. He never picked up Alfie's calls -- then the Captain calls you answer. He didn't come to Spezza's wedding -- if there really wasn't anything between him and the other players, he would have faced the music, held a press conference beforehand so as not to take away from Jason/Jennifer's day, and come to the wedding. Plus I remember reading somewhere that he wanted more of a leadership role but was stymied by the "old guard", which I assume to be Alfie, Phillips, Fisher, Neil (or was that Chara who said that?)

And, sure, we would have gotten more for him at the trade deadline (assuming he continued scoring goals) but where would the team have been in the standings? And if he really did ruin the atmosphere in the room, he probably would not be scoring 30 goals by the break, either.

Oh, and one final comment to Rooney, anyone who thinks differently to you does not automatically have to be a fool. That was an unnecessary comment.

marakh wrote:

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.

I agree with this. We need to find a way to develop guys like Chicago did the past 7 years, guys like Bolland, Byfuglien, Versteeg, Brouwer etc. I think guys like Hoffman, Butler, Stone etc in 3-4 years will be able to make the team in a comfortable role.

As for Heatley, having to talk to a guy in your locker room for months that wants out can be absolutely disastrous. It has nothing to do with Heatley's effort on the ice, if you don't have that unity in your locker room, you're dead. Just look at what Avery did to the Stars last year. I think you guys seriously underestimate that point.

Exactly. Thank you for saving me 5 minutes of typing.

wprager wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Exactly, Heatley would not have quit on his teammates, he never had a problem with them by all acounts.

By some accounts, he did. Again, this all goes back to the fact that Heatley never came out and talked about it himself. He never picked up Alfie's calls -- then the Captain calls you answer. He didn't come to Spezza's wedding -- if there really wasn't anything between him and the other players, he would have faced the music, held a press conference beforehand so as not to take away from Jason/Jennifer's day, and come to the wedding. Plus I remember reading somewhere that he wanted more of a leadership role but was stymied by the "old guard", which I assume to be Alfie, Phillips, Fisher, Neil (or was that Chara who said that?)

And, sure, we would have gotten more for him at the trade deadline (assuming he continued scoring goals) but where would the team have been in the standings? And if he really did ruin the atmosphere in the room, he probably would not be scoring 30 goals by the break, either.

Oh, and one final comment to Rooney, anyone who thinks differently to you does not automatically have to be a fool. That was an unnecessary comment.

Meh, I said meant to say "it's foolish to think otherwise," not that "you're a fool." It's the argument, and not the person, I'm criticizing.

That said, anyone who thinks that a team or individual player or set of players could have prospered in that toxic environment probably needs to remember that there's a big difference between managing a fantasy hockey team and a real hockey team.