Heatley continues wafflingDoor still open to go to Oilers, but that could shut this week
OTTAWA -- The door still isn't closed on a deal to send disgruntled Senators winger Dany Heatley to the Oilers -- but it could be slammed shut soon.
Sources indicated yesterday that while Heatley refused to waive his no-movement clause on June 30 and agree to a deal that would have sent him to the Oilers, he has not "officially" rejected Edmonton as a destination.
But an NHL source indicated yesterday the Oilers' patience is wearing thin to have Heatley agree to a deal and they could give up and move on perhaps as early as today.
At this point, the Oilers appear to be the only viable trade option. With Edmonton out of the picture, returning to Ottawa and an ugly reception from fans could be the Heatley camp's only option.
Heatley, who in a letter to the Senators on June 4 asked to be traded, could still accept Edmonton if no other deal can be worked out. Rumours are there are at least two other teams which have recently held discussions with Senators GM Bryan Murray, but have only offered bloated contracts and underachieving players in return.
"What I've heard is Heatley is keeping the Edmonton door open in case nothing better comes along," said an NHL source. "I don't think all the options have been exhausted yet. But the reality is there's not much interest out there."
The Oilers were rumoured to be prepared to send forwards Dustin Penner and Andrew Cogliano and defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Senators on the eve of free agency July 1. Oilers president Kevin Lowe and GM Steve Tambellini visited Heatley that night to try and convince him to make the move, but they were unsuccessful.
Speculation is the Wild remains a team looking for an offensive addition and the Blue Jackets have come up in connection with the unhappy winger. It's interesting to note that Columbus captain Rick Nash has had some success playing with Heatley at the world championships. Nash was recently signed to an eight-year, $62.4-million (all terms US) contract extension, which kicks in for the 2010-11 season. The Blue Jackets have spent just $44 million of the $56.8-million salary cap, so there would be room there for a Heatley-sized contract at this point.
After signing Martin Havlat to a deal with a $5-million cap hit, the Wild has committed about $51 million for next season, so some room would have to be created to absorb Heatley's $7.5-million yearly hit.
Sens owner Eugene Melnyk said in a radio interview Friday: "Edmonton is only around for so long and after that (Heatley's) only option is to report to training camp."
That's when it could get really interesting.
CHRIS.STEVENSON@SUNMEDIA.CA
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3 comments:
wouldn't touch that train wreck w/ a ten foot pole!
True, but let's be honest.. he's an elite player, and elite players don't hit the market that often. Personally I think that Heatley has some issues sure, but let's not forget the Senators organization either.. When push comes to shove there will be some teams that are interested.. and quite frankly if Howsen has the opportunity to get Heatley and he thinks he can make it work in the long haul he should be involved with this. Because in the end and elite player is an elite player. I just can't wait for this whole thing to unfold, because I think teams like the Islanders and the Jackets could really benefit from this..
Eplagge, this is the exact opposite of what Howson wants in the locker room. Elite or not, this guy is a distraction, and quite frankly I could never root for someone who had a large part in his best friend/team mate's untimely death. So, let someone else walk into this trap. If it's a team that needs to burn some salary, the good ol' Blue Jackets can help them out in that respect. But I never wanna see Heatly in Union Blue.
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