News broke out 3 days ago that Heatley gave Bryan Murray a list of preferred destinations in his next journey who Murray has spoken to. I have confirmation from a source that there are 7 teams on that list and they are...
SAN JOSE SHARKS
LOS ANGELES KINGS
ANAHEIM DUCKS
CALGARY FLAMES
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
DALLAS STARS
There you have it folks. All three teams from California are on the list(GASP!), his hometown is on it(DOUBLE GASP!), a team close to his hometown(GASP, AGAIN!), a team buried in the riches of Texas(HOLY SHISHKIBOB!), and the defending Cup Champions who include 2 of the 3 best players in the NHL(GA...UGH, GETTING HARD TO BREATHE HERE!). I think Heatley is becoming a fair rich Hamlet(BURN REX MURPHY!) who wants to learn the secrets of a true ninja somewhere else.
I can tell you that 6 of those 7 teams have made calls about the Heater. When you examine the situation, it's a 50% chance that a California Team will get him. But there are really 5 frontrunners for his services. They are...
LOS ANGELES KINGS- OFFERING JACK JOHNSON, ALEX FROLOV, 5TH OVERALL PICK IN THE 2009 DRAFT, 96TH OVERALL PICK IN THE 2009 DRAFT(PICARD INCLUDED)
ST.LOUIS BLUES- OFFERING PATRIK BERGLUND, BARRET JACKMAN, AARON PALUSHAJ
SAN JOSE SHARKS- OFFERING MILAN MICHALEK, MARC-EDOUARD VLASIC, RILEY ARMSTRONG
EDMONTON OILERS- OFFERING DUSTIN PENNER, TOM GILBERT, RILEY NASH, 10TH OVERALL PICK IN THE 2009 DRAFT(SMITH INCLUDED)
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS- OFFERING CHRIS KUNITZ, MAX TALBOT, ALEX GRANT, 30TH OVERALL PICK(KELLY INCLUDED)
With these trades, the lineup would like like...
1. Frolov - Spezza - Alfredsson
Foligno - Fisher - Shannon
Zubov - Kelly - Donovan
Bass - Winchester - Ruutu
Kuba - Campoli
Phillips - Volchenkov
Johnson - Lee
(Assuming Smith retires, Neil and Comrie leave, Bell re-assigned to Bingo)
2. Foligno - Spezza - Alfredsson
Comrie - Fisher - Shannon
Kelly - Berglund - Donovan
Bass - Winchester - Ruutu
Kuba - Campoli
Jackman - Volchenkov
Phillips - Lee
(Assuming Smith retires, Neil leaves, Bell, Picard re-assigned to Bingo)
3. Michalek - Spezza- Alfredsson
Foligno - Fisher - Shannon
Zubov - Kelly - Donovan
Bass - Winchester - Ruutu
Kuba - Lee
Phillips - Volchenkov
Vlasic - Campoli
(Assuming Smith retires, Neil and Comrie leave, Bell, Picard re-assigned to Bingo)
4. Penner - Spezza - Alfredsson
Foligno - Fisher - Shannon
Zubov - Kelly - Donovan
Bass - Winchester - Ruutu
Kuba - Campoli
Phillips - Volchenkov
Gilbert - Lee
(Assuming Neil and Comrie leave, Bell, Picard re-assigned to Bingo)
5. Kunitz - Spezza - Alfredsson
Foligno - Fisher - Shannon
Talbot - Zubov - Donovan
Bass - Winchester - Ruutu
Kuba - Campoli
Phillips - Volchenkov
Grant - Lee
(Assuming Smith retires, Neil and Comrie leave, Bell, Picard re-assigned to Bingo)
Other than that, the Sharks offer might be good but can we really have 6 2nd pairing defense on the roster? What kind of zany world would that be? Also we don't need Colby Armstrong's younger brother, thanks. Zach Smith would eat him for breakfast.
Hrm. I say we take the Sharks or Kings offer. We get a top line winger, let Ilya Zubov make the team, don't resign Comrie, and play defense by committe (6 2nd pairing D, that's how we'll do it in Ottawa).
Frolov is a good player and may turn into a great player playing in the East with not so much tight checking.
If JJ would sign in the 2-2.5 mil range, this deal would be great.
The other offers are not even worth mentioning. Do people expect Ottawa to take OVERPAID 2-3 liners and OVERPAID 3rd-5th D-man. BM shouldn't waste his time with these.
And for Heatley's LIST. Who cares!!
He'll go where BM can get the best offer or he can stay in Ottawa and get booed out of the building every night or have fun watching from the press box while his hopes of a Cup and 2010 olympic gold fade away.
Are these actually real offers? Some just don't seem too serious.
As others have said, i have heard the sens are certainly not really considering heatley's "list".
Any oil offer should include gagner or hemsky, and their pick, IMO.
I'm trying to think if I was the one on senschirp who suggested the Visnovsky & Gagner trade (I put up a bunch of oranges that turned out to be lemons in the light of day). If it was me, I can only admit the mistake and move on :)
i dont think the blues are in on heatley.. if they are, i dont think they would offer up berglund.
Michalek and Frolov are pretty comparable points wise, though Michalek has a bit more grit. Either would look good in Heatley's spot on the top line.
Edge:Sharks
Johnson and Vlasic are pretty comparable as well - they both have some upside. Vlasic has better stats, but he's also been playing on a much better team. JJ may or may not turn out to be the next Pronger, while Vlasic is a solid 3-4 and could grow into a top pairing role... or not.
Edge: neither
I'd take the 5th pick over Riley Armstrong, there will be plenty of players at 5 who have a better chance of making it to the first or second line than Armstrong.
Edge:Kings
Lastly, the salary on the Kings deal is way more attractive. Vlasic (3.1mil and Michalek (4.3mil) will put us right back where we started. Whereas Frolov (2.9mill) and JJ (even at 3mill) will trim 1.5 off and losing Picard will bring our cap savings to (2.3mill). Also, both Michalek and Vlasic are signed to long-term deals while Frolov's contract is up next year, giving us greater flexibility when the bottom falls out of the salary cap next season.
Edge: Kings.
Basically it's what Redden was making for longer term.
The problems for BM are now three-fold:
1) If the Phaneuf deal happens, we'll have 9 defensemen on one-way contracts. At least two will need to go, and I'm looking at Picard, Smith, and Schubert to make up two of those three.
2) We now need at least one bona fide scorer. If Murray can move Picard or Schubert without taking much money back, we might be able to make an offer on Jiri Hudler, or if he can engage in some really creative accounting, attempt to sign Cammalleri. Comrie goes back to free agency, Neil probably as well. Just as well, let's get Zach Smith into the team.
3) Which prospects who played in Bingo last year make the squad? Of Regin, Zubov and Z. Smith, I like Smith to make the team if Neil is gone, and Zubov to make the team if Comrie is gone.
Ah, exciting times.