Heatley May Still Get To Exit Ottawa

((HT: Ottawa Sun/Bruce Garrioch))

Dany Heatley’s ((pictured, thanks Sun Media file)) quest to get out of Ottawa isn’t dead yet.

Senators GM Bryan Murray confirmed in an e-mail to Sun Media that he could have “an option” to move the disgruntled left winger, but with the clock ticking toward the opening of training camp Sept. 12 at Scotiabank Place, the club will have to move quickly.

Sources say the San Jose Sharks have more than a passing interest in the two-time 50-goal scorer, but if they’re going to make the deal, they might have to get a third team involved — possibly the Montreal Canadiens — because the Senators won’t accept what the Sharks have on the table.

The Senators don’t want anything to do with winger Jonathan Cheechoo, who has been offered as part of a package along with defenceman Christian Erhoff and a first-round selection.

The Sharks have never offered Patrick Marleau, who is only a year away from being an unrestricted free agent.

“If the Sharks don’t have what the Senators want, then (GM) Doug Wilson might have to go get it from another team,” said a league executive Saturday. “The Senators want a proven scoring winger in return and that means you might have to get a third team involved.”

A source said that a third team could be the Habs, but wasn’t sure what San Jose could acquire from Montreal to satisfy the Senators’ needs to deal Heatley.

It should be noted the Habs, Sharks and Senators are all up against the $56.8-million US salary cap.

“Every team has cap issues one way or another,” said a league executive

“It’s difficult for San Jose to take on Heatley’s salary (cap hit of $7.5 million a season over the next five years) and I’m sure that’s what is holding them back. This is a big gamble, especially if it doesn’t work out. Nobody wants to take that kind of gamble in the salary cap era.”

The Sharks talk comes a day after the Edmonton Oilers announced they’re out of the running for Heatley and have moved on.

Indications are the Heatley camp informed Oilers GM Steve Tambellini during a B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony last weekend in Penticton that Heatley had no intention of going to Edmonton. Heatley and Tambellini were both in Penticton to take part in festivities.

It’s believed Heatley, who played in a charity hockey game, informed Tambellini there was no sense in the Oilers continuing to pursue the trade after several attempts to convince Heatley to come to Edmonton failed.

Speaking to a San Jose newspaper Friday, Wilson was non-committal about moves.

He told reporters during his state-of-the-union address following the Sharks’ first-round exit that he was going to make changes in the off-season, but Wilson has a reputation as a “tire kicker” when it comes to trades.

Heatley, however, would be willing to waive his no-movement clause to go to the Sharks.

“This is all up to Doug Wilson. If he wants to make big changes, this is the biggest one he can make,” said a league executive.

Here's coverage dating to when Heatley initially requested out of Ottawa.
Brent Wallace fronts the piece, thanks to our friends at TSN...

Heatley Wants Out Of Ottawa

((HT: TSN))

Despite only being one year into his contract extension with the Ottawa Senators, Dany Heatley wants out.

TSN has confirmed that the 28-year old who signed a six-year, $45 million contract extension with the team in October of 2007 - that includes a no-movement clause - informed the team a week ago of his desire to play hockey elsewhere.

The veteran forward became unhappy with his role in Ottawa last season, especially after the Senators made a coaching change. Heatley discussed his concerns with head coach Cory Clouston in the Senators end of season meetings. However, both sides agreed some time away would help remedy the situation. So, the issues were left to settle while Heatley represented Canada at the IIHF World Hockey Championship.

Heatley returned and continued to consider his future before finally approaching Senators management with his trade request.

Senators general manager Bryan Murray has seen his club go downhill since they appeared in the Stanley Cup Final in 2007.

In the 2007-08 season, the Senators had a hot-start, but then had a brutal second-half of the season and held on to seventh place in the Eastern Conference, only to get swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

This past season, the Senators never really got it going, and missed the playoffs.

In order to deal Heatley, Murray would have to find a team with the room to take on the final five seasons of Heatley's contract that would count for $7.5 million per season against the salary cap. While he may have to be less selective to encourage a trade because of this, Heatley will have significant input into where he moves.

"We signed [Heatley] to a long-term deal and we expect him to honour it," Murray said on Tuesday. "At this point in time he's a Senator."

"We have been having discussions with Bryan Murray concerning Dany," Heatley's agent J.P. Barry told the Ottawa Sun. "I'd like to continue these discussions in private before determining what's best for Dany,"

Heatley notched 39 goals and 33 assists in 82 games last season. The 72 points were his lowest point totals in his four seasons with the Senators.

The veteran winger, who had back-to-back 50 goal seasons in 2005-06 and 2006-07, is believed to be interested in going to a Western Conference team.

So Much For That One Paragraph...

Multiple sources north of the OSG border, including TSN and TSN.ca, are letting us all know that Andrej Meszaros ((Pictured, thanks Getty Images)) is now a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Meszaros signs a multi-year deal averaging US$4-million per year over the next six seasons. Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard head to Ottawa along with a draft-pick.

"It got to a point where the money was too much for what we wanted to pay," Senators' GM Bryan Murray told the Canadian Press. "We thought we had made a considerable offer, but when there was the threat of an offer sheet at such an exaggerated (dollar amount) it really led us to believe that making a deal was an easier way, and would give us the return that we needed for this player."

The Senators now only have Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov as their normal, every day defensemen. Bryan Murray has lost Joe Corvo, Mike Commodore, Wade Redden, and Luke Richardson since the mid-point of last season.

The principals of the Kopitar-Khabibulin deal are still in place and in play with the Kings and Blackhawks. The Sens may now have to bow out as a dance partner.

Kuba is slated to make US$3-million in the last year of his current deal. He becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 08-09 season. Picard is still working under his entry-level contract. It will give him $750,000 this season and $850,000 next season.

The Sens are just under US$52-million and have a little less than US$5-million to play with for the upcoming season. The Lightning are at close to US$53-and-a-half million if the Meszaros number is averaged in. That leaves them with US$4-million or so to give Barry Melrose an entirely new sandbox at the Forum.

Here's a profile of Meszaros ((thanks to the youtube, the Sens, and Rogers 22 in Ottawa, Ontario...))