Allegedly? Sigh.
I will say this: If for whatever reason Jonathan Cheechoo does land in Ottawa, the Sens' front office can be grateful for an increase in ticket sales that comes along with it. Cheechoo has a significant First Nations contingent that shows up for his games at SBP, and their upbeat attitude adds a welcome vibe to the traditionally staid arena.
Finally, to end the night, a little bit of levity from Chris Stevenson:
"Here's a thought: If Bill Clinton can get two North American journalists out of a North Korean prison and sweet talk loopy Kim Jong Il, surely he can get Dany Heatley out of Ottawa. Worth a try?"
Posts
I'll stand by my contention that Heatley isn't going anywhere. Here's my reasoning:
1. Outside of Edmonton, those who want(ed) Heatley cannot afford the cap hit, and those who can afford the cap hit (hello, LA Kings!) don't want him. It's amusing to see fans still speculating about LA on the message boards - how could Heatley possibly ever play there after the way Ron Hextall publicly (and quite correctly) trashed him?
2. It's now August 7, and historically teams do not make major roster moves in August. If you are going to shake up your core, you do that in July. August is a time for tweaks, and filling holes here and there. Put another way, if a team didn't see fit to make a competitive offer for Heatley five weeks ago, what would motivate them to do so now?
3. Eugene Melnyk is determined to show Dany Heatley who runs the show. Self-made men like Melnyk are typically very proud guys. Can you imagine how outraged Melnyk is over the fact that some 28 year old ingrate publicly peed on his shoes? I think that Melnyk has clearly instructed Murray to drive a hard bargain for Heatley in part because he WANTS him to have to come back to Ottawa, tail between his legs. If he dares hold out for even a day, the grievance will be filed so fast it will make your head spin.
Now, I think the smart move for Eugene would be to invite Heatley to the compound in Barbados in late August. Have a little summit, and then be able to go announce to the cameras that Dany's concerns have been heard, and a "healthy exchange of views took place". We are all on the same page, just want to win the Cup, yada yada yada. This then gives Heatley a face saving way back into town and onto the roster.
Dennis Prouse
9:48 a.m.
Who said the Senators would trade Heatley the same day the Blue Jays traded Halladay? Best. Prop. Bet. Ever.r
sager
11:57 a.m.