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Atlanta Thrashers Blogger •
So we learn this week that Dany Heatley wants outa Ottawa. Seems the 28-year old winger has become less-than-thrilled with his role on the squad…so much so that he’s willing to waive the no-trade clause in his 6-year, $45-million contract extension signed in October of 2007 to mosey on to greener pastures.
Greener pastures that he will help determine, given the NTC.
His beef is primarily with coach Cory Clouston reducing his ice-time as well as shifting him from the first power play unit to the second after the Sens made the coaching change in the middle of last season. Heatley scored 39 goals and 33 assists, playing in all 82 games last season…those 72 points being his lowest point totals in his four seasons in Ottawa.
So…he wants out.
Hmmmm…well Ottawa, we in Atlanta have been through this before with Dany.
Now mind you, what happened here was due to a much more serious and grave nature. Just prior to the opening of the 2003-04 season, Heatley had been involved with the tragic accident that took the life of teammate and close friend Dan Snyder. He returned to play late in the season then, following the lockout year, he informed general manager Don Waddell he wanted to be traded… citing personal reasons and wishing to move on with his life and recovery. This could only be done, apparently, away from the familiar Lenox Road surroundings that reminded him daily of the incident.
Personally, I haven’t held it against the man for requesting such a trade given the circumstances. I have never been faced with what he was/is going through and so I feel that it’s harsh to judge him in that light.
However... and let's just be honest here... it isn’t a stretch to believe that he used the situation to his advantage in order to force the team’s hand, enabling himself to move to an organization that was further along in the contention process.
Also, many here didn’t much care for some of the comments he made once arriving in Ottawa…something about being exited to play in a “real” hockey town, or something to that affect. But seriously, that could simply be attributed to a kid just wanting to say something nice about the city he was going to be playing in.
shrugs…who knows.
But now…almost six years later…Ottawa is the city he’s looking to leave.
So, is it fair to sense a certain pattern with Mr. Heatley’s actions? Is there an underlying motive that plays more to his desire to play for a contending team and less to his “personal” situations?
Maybe…
Going into the 2005-06 season, the Thrashers were still a team playing with the “expansion” label affixed to it. Sure, sure… was showing much promise at that time given that they had just come off their best season…33-37-4 in their fifth year in the league… it was the third straight that they had improved upon the season before and then-new coach Bob Hartley seemed to have the team moving in the right direction.
However, no one expected back then that the Thrashers were anywhere close to a Stanley Cup run. (Some could say the same now…but that’s a topic for another day).
Anyway…off Heatley went to a Senators team that was a solid contender and life was just peachy for him. He was even able to play in the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals in just his second year while there…losing to the Anaheim Ducks.
But now…things have taken a bit of a downturn in Canada’s capital. Last year the Sens failed to qualify for the Great Quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup for the first time since 1996, finishing with 83 points. That’s only 5 points better than the Thrashers accumulated in Heatley’s last season here.
So, with the team needing to rebuild somewhat in order to make a return trip to prominence…he wants out.
But this time, it might not be quite so easy. GM Bryan Murray is quoted as saying, "We signed [Heatley] to a long-term deal and we expect him to honour it…At this point in time he's a Senator."
We’ll see if Murray sticks to his guns. I mean, what’s worse…trading away such a quality player after you thought he’d been locked up for several years or keeping a “disgruntled” player who wants to be elsewhere?
Thrashers GM Don Waddell chose the former and still cites the situation as one of the reasons the Thrashers have but one playoff apperance and zero playoff wins after nine seasons and eleven years on the job. (I could cite you more reasons…but again, that is a topic for another day).
Regardless, it appears to me that Dany just isn’t interested in helping in the whole “building process” thingy…as was the case when he played for the Thrashers, and now in Ottawa. It seems he simply would like to be placed in a situation where the organization is already on top or on the rise and he can simply slip in and partake of the goodies that come with such. Much like what has been the case in regards to his time in Ottawa.
That is…until last season.
Now…as they always do…times have turned a bit sour there. So Heatley has simply chosen to cry, “I want out”.
Just like what he did in Atlanta in August of 2005.
Again, the circumstances are different, but the motive seems to remain the same. When faced with staying put and helping to make the situation better, Dany Heatley instead opts to just move on where the pastures are greener and the conditions are more pleasant…for now.
Greener pastures that he will help determine, given the NTC.
His beef is primarily with coach Cory Clouston reducing his ice-time as well as shifting him from the first power play unit to the second after the Sens made the coaching change in the middle of last season. Heatley scored 39 goals and 33 assists, playing in all 82 games last season…those 72 points being his lowest point totals in his four seasons in Ottawa.
So…he wants out.
Hmmmm…well Ottawa, we in Atlanta have been through this before with Dany.
Now mind you, what happened here was due to a much more serious and grave nature. Just prior to the opening of the 2003-04 season, Heatley had been involved with the tragic accident that took the life of teammate and close friend Dan Snyder. He returned to play late in the season then, following the lockout year, he informed general manager Don Waddell he wanted to be traded… citing personal reasons and wishing to move on with his life and recovery. This could only be done, apparently, away from the familiar Lenox Road surroundings that reminded him daily of the incident.
Personally, I haven’t held it against the man for requesting such a trade given the circumstances. I have never been faced with what he was/is going through and so I feel that it’s harsh to judge him in that light.
However... and let's just be honest here... it isn’t a stretch to believe that he used the situation to his advantage in order to force the team’s hand, enabling himself to move to an organization that was further along in the contention process.
Also, many here didn’t much care for some of the comments he made once arriving in Ottawa…something about being exited to play in a “real” hockey town, or something to that affect. But seriously, that could simply be attributed to a kid just wanting to say something nice about the city he was going to be playing in.
shrugs…who knows.
But now…almost six years later…Ottawa is the city he’s looking to leave.
So, is it fair to sense a certain pattern with Mr. Heatley’s actions? Is there an underlying motive that plays more to his desire to play for a contending team and less to his “personal” situations?
Maybe…
Going into the 2005-06 season, the Thrashers were still a team playing with the “expansion” label affixed to it. Sure, sure… was showing much promise at that time given that they had just come off their best season…33-37-4 in their fifth year in the league… it was the third straight that they had improved upon the season before and then-new coach Bob Hartley seemed to have the team moving in the right direction.
However, no one expected back then that the Thrashers were anywhere close to a Stanley Cup run. (Some could say the same now…but that’s a topic for another day).
Anyway…off Heatley went to a Senators team that was a solid contender and life was just peachy for him. He was even able to play in the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals in just his second year while there…losing to the Anaheim Ducks.
But now…things have taken a bit of a downturn in Canada’s capital. Last year the Sens failed to qualify for the Great Quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup for the first time since 1996, finishing with 83 points. That’s only 5 points better than the Thrashers accumulated in Heatley’s last season here.
So, with the team needing to rebuild somewhat in order to make a return trip to prominence…he wants out.
But this time, it might not be quite so easy. GM Bryan Murray is quoted as saying, "We signed [Heatley] to a long-term deal and we expect him to honour it…At this point in time he's a Senator."
We’ll see if Murray sticks to his guns. I mean, what’s worse…trading away such a quality player after you thought he’d been locked up for several years or keeping a “disgruntled” player who wants to be elsewhere?
Thrashers GM Don Waddell chose the former and still cites the situation as one of the reasons the Thrashers have but one playoff apperance and zero playoff wins after nine seasons and eleven years on the job. (I could cite you more reasons…but again, that is a topic for another day).
Regardless, it appears to me that Dany just isn’t interested in helping in the whole “building process” thingy…as was the case when he played for the Thrashers, and now in Ottawa. It seems he simply would like to be placed in a situation where the organization is already on top or on the rise and he can simply slip in and partake of the goodies that come with such. Much like what has been the case in regards to his time in Ottawa.
That is…until last season.
Now…as they always do…times have turned a bit sour there. So Heatley has simply chosen to cry, “I want out”.
Just like what he did in Atlanta in August of 2005.
Again, the circumstances are different, but the motive seems to remain the same. When faced with staying put and helping to make the situation better, Dany Heatley instead opts to just move on where the pastures are greener and the conditions are more pleasant…for now.
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