The Heatley Saga ... my take.

Today my good friend and infinitely more talented blogged, JC of Senschirp.ca, speculated that Dany Healtey will be dealt before training camp. While I usually do not make it a habit to refute whatever is said on Senschirp, I do not think Heatley will be traded to a team waiting in the wings any time soon.

Dany Healtey produced his list of clubs he would go to and he has already nixed a trade, twice, to a club not on said list. Of the clubs that JC is reporting having some interest only one is on Dany's list; the San Jose Sharks. The asking price, however, is exceptionally high and I have already stated who I want to see coming back from the Sharks... I doubt it is the same as Bryan Murray, but who knows.

I fully believe with the Olympics looming Dany is looking to be motivated in any market. He wants to make that team and Yzerman will unlikely take a prima donna who tries to sit out. Count on Heatley being at camp and showing up to open with the Senators, but I wouldn't go too far past November when clubs realize that they want Heatley. Why? If a club truly wanted Heatley and knew that the Oilers already put up their best offer, they would be going out of their way to acquire him with better deals. It's just that simple.

However, Murray needs to sign Elliott after trading Auld and there is a matter of cap hit. In order to get under the cap either Chris Kelly or Jason Smith have to go. There has been a lot of talk online about Christoph Schubert in the mix with Smith and Kelly for getting traded out of Ottawa, but that remains to be seen. As it stands, those three names keep coming up if Heatley is going to remain an Ottawa Senator for at least part of the season...

Sorry JC. We usually see eye to eye. I just don't see a club caring until they know Dany wants to and can play on a team again.

Salaray Dumping...

Today Bryan Murray moved Alex Auld to the Dallas Stars for a sixth round pick in 2010. What does that mean? Well, a couple of things. The Senators can now have Elliott up full time to backup Pascal Leclaire for 30-35 games which will do wonders for the kid's development. It also means that the Senators dropped additional salary ($1mil to be exact) and are closer to getting the club under the salary cap.

Meanwhile, Alex Kovalev wants to reach out to Dany Heatley and asked the pissy winger to stay. Kovalev wants to be a team player and not be the torch carrier in Ottawa, which speaks volumes about his character. I could have been wrong, but one day does not entirely convince me that Kovalev will hold to his word. However, Bryan Murray and owner Eugene Melnyk have postured that Heatley is staying in Ottawa unless a stellar deal comes through. In that idea and should Kovalev be successful in his attempts to convince the superstar to tough it out, the Senators still need to drop some salary to get under the cap. Moreover, Murray likes being a few million under so that he can add a part in the mid-season point ... Count on more changes and soon.

How do you feel about Heatley staying? Check the poll!

- BigW

ps. Most likely that $1mil dump will be offered to Elliott as he is a RFA still.

Is that Blood in the Water I Smell?

While talking about Dany Heatley is about as exciting as ramming nails into my eyelids it is unavoidable. I was pretty apathetic about him as an Ottawa Senator and I am still apathetic about him. However, I was hoping that Senators general manager, Bryan Murray, would at least go out and sign a free agent that can deflect some of the complaints about Heatley and turn them into positive energy. I was wrong.

Today the Ottawa Senators signed floatable right-winger, Alexei Kovalev, from the free-agent market a day after Montreal faithful held a rally to entice the star to stay. The signing came as a big shock to the Senators fans as Kovalev inks with the club for a whopping $5-million per year contract, but fortunately only for two years. As you can probably tell I am not a fan of this signing in the least and I think it is signalling the end of Murray's tenure with the club if Kovalev ends up being a bust.

Two seasons ago, Kovalev was only shy of his all highest points gain from 2000-01 by a slight nine points. However, every season comes and passes with Kovalev fans all asking the same question, "will he come to play tonight or not?" Consistency and teamwork are issues Ottawa has been plagued with since the disappointing cup run and bringing in a scorer who has a gifted talent for the game is a great idea. Someone who wants to play all the time and is willing to work for the puck. Someone who can inspire Jason Spezza to work equally as hard. Someone who can take a demanding coach and accept their style. Someone who buys into the philosophy that the coaching staff and club demand and has a desire to win every game

That's not Alexei Kovalev!

All too often Kovalev has been in the sports media for his poor attitude, his lack luster play and his willingness to quit on his club. Equally so he has been in Russian media about how much he does not like whatever coach or team for whatever reason. The Senators are struggling to get a tangible team identity again and signing a selfish and usually lazy player does nothing to help their cause short of comparing him to Heatley and saying "well, he's a bit better". Truth is, Heatley is miles above Kovalev even when Dany is playing his laziest... Alexei, on the other hand, just up and quits and loves to take spa vacations rather than win.

It would have been nice to see Murray address secondary scoring with a more affordable option. At $5/mil per season for two seasons, Kovalev is a hefty gamble. I can't see him winging for Fisher. He will demand being on the top line and I cannot see Spezza and Kovalev clicking consistently when both of them tend to zone out and go their own way too often. Some are hoping Clouston will straighten it out--fans and Murray alike, I assure you--but I am tired of hanging my hat on hopes and dreams. We were close to the cup once and since then it's been a rough skid on our ass down since.

Bad signing. Murray's contract renewal for next year is frayed down to its last thread and all of the weight of Kovalev is pulling down on it.

- BigW

Oh Dany Boy ... The Pipes Are Callin'

Free Agent Frenzy came and it went. On the good news front, Senators GM Bryan Murray was able to lock up UFA Chris Neil to a four year deal worth $8-million. While some bloggers and fan sites were stating that Neil was overpriced before the free agency period the reality became evident that other teams were willing to offer him upwards of $2.5-million per season for his services. In the end, Neil decided to stay where he has always been and continue his work here as our gritty forward. This shows a ton of character to the fans of the Senators when other players just lack it...

Speaking of Dany Heatley, the midnight deadline for Sens owner Eugene Melnyk to pony up a $4-million bonus to the disgruntled winger came and passed as well. You might remember that nearly a month ago Heatley's agent decided to go public with the trade demand in an obvous power play to score his client the big ticket. Murray played host to a few suitors, but the only deal he felt was worthy of Dany Heatley's talent was to get Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner and Vadislav Smid from the Edmonton Oilers. Now, I am not going to analyze that trade to death, but it would have been a bad one for Ottawa. However, it was the only trade worth noting in the end and the ball was in Heatley's court to waive his no movement clause to facilitate his trade demand...

I do want to take a brief moment and discuss the trade demand one more time and explain how come Dany did not get his wish before Free Agent Frenzy. To me, it all comes down to the teams Heatley put on his magic list and how it handcuffed Murray from the get go. According to Sun Media the teams Heatley put on his short list included the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins.

Kings: Rumours swirled surrounding Heatley and the Kings early, but it looked as though those were just rumours. In order for the Kings to be able to acquire Dany they would have to give up a lot of their young talent ... something that they wouldn't be too keen on. Los Angeles hasn't been a hot bed of hockey for quite some time and it would have given Dany a chance to fade away into obscurity while being the teams #1 guy, but the return cost was just too high.

Rangers: Another team that hosted a ton of rumours and it seemed a likely contender for a while when a trade started to materialize. Like LA, it could have easily had Heatley in the spotlight on the club and it seemed a likely contender for the winger to go here.

Sharks: The trade would have cost the Sharks more than they are comfortable with. They have a group of guys who mesh well together and have proven some success. If the first day of free agency is any indication, the Sharks are in no mood to tamper with what they believe is a winning club.

Red Wings: Just because they lost the Stanley Cup this year doesn't mean they are going to go out and start moving names around. While Hossa was set to test the market--then land the big deal in Chicago--the golden rule in Detroit would be turned off by Heatley's cap hit.

Blackhawks: A young team with a lot of up and coming potential where a star winger would be an ideal fit ... if the Hawks felt that winger were a team player. They would need to be capable of not only leading by example, but also taking the team on its shoulders. Heatley's attitude about how his club performed and his role on it last season under Cory Clouston cast a lot of doubt on his character and no doubt the Hawks (as well as other clubs) stayed away because of it.

Canucks: Dany's own agent is the same agent for the Sedin twins ... In order for Heatley to even have a shot at signing in V-city, the Sedins would have needed to have been handled. Needless to say that wasn't dealt with until less than an hour before the twins became UFAs.

Bruins: Who can the Bruins easily afford to trade away to Ottawa for Heatley? The Sens and Bruins are in the same division and would see a lot of one another in coming seasons ... a trade for either side could prove to be frustrating in the long. Not many teams trade in the same division and it was immediately unlikely that Murray would find a trading partner.

Basically Heatley and his agents knew full well the only real option for Dany was either Los Angeles or New York (Rangers). While it was rumoured that the Rangers and the Senators had a deal in the making there was a lot of confusion surrounding that $4-million signing bonus and how it came into play. Sadly, in the end, the only team truly interested in Healtey turned out to be the Edmonton Oilers and although they were not on Healtey's short list, Murray tried to get him to go ... It is clear the GM does not want him in the locker room next year.

The day after there are press releases and reports that JP Barry, the all-star agent of some of the biggest names in the NHL including Heatley, was very displeased with how Murray treated his client's trade demand. Naturally the agent is ticked off at Murray because no one is interested in a prima donna who doesn't appear to be a team player... Sorry JP... but if your client wants out of here so badly he needs to make concessions as well.

I think Heatley should be made an example of. Naturally the Ottawa Senators want to do the same thing, but I also mean by the NHL and NHLPA. I fully believe that:

1) If a player that has a no-movement or no-trade clause demands a trade they automatically forfeit their right to veto.
2) If a player signs on with a club they are not permitted to demand a trade.
3) The only bonus that should be given at the end of a season is production related. If a signing bonus is involved it should be dealt with at the time of signing the contract.
4) If a player has an issue with a coach, they should take every stop possible to work out the issue rather than making a scene. Heatley only spoke with Clouston at the end of season meeting and not since ... how can the issues he had be addressed let alone handled?
5) An alternate captain of any team should be held accountable to his actions.

The next time I write about Heatley I hope it's to tell him good bye and not to let the door hit him on the ass on the way out ... I am beyond the desire to talk ad nasseum about this pathetic excuse for a grown adult.

If I were Bryan Murray I would present Dany (not his agent) with the following options:

1) You work out a trade that is fair for both teams between the Senators and whoever is interested.
2) Accept the Edmonton trade.
3) Sit out the season.

In other news ... Team Canada announced it's orientation roster and the only Ottawa Senator to get the invite was Dany Heatley.

- BigW

Sum-sum-sum-summertime.

I know. It looks like Big Will abandoned his big heart in March and walked away from the team. That's not true. Regardless I am back and ready give my input on all things Senators. Where to start?

Let us roll back to the embarrassing playoff performance of our beloved red team. I was dead wrong with how Murray coming back to the bench would change many things, but I was dead right that entering the playoffs would not change a thing. The truth is that the team sucked as a team and that blaming any one individual seems like scapegoating -- I'll get back to this.

Let us fast forward now to the draft. What a wonderful weekend in Ottawa. Although the Sens were not high ranked in the picks we managed to add a little depth on the lines with some Swedish and Canadian kids. Kind of surprised me a little that we picked a couple of prospects from Sweden, but it is nice to see the recognition that the Canadian game has branched out and it might be a bit of a nod to Alfie and his host country. That and the NHL season openers being played in Sweden between the Senators and the Penguins may have something to do with it to. What about goal tending?

Remember that bit about scapegoating? Ray Emery was the toast of the town a year ago for taking the team to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in modern history ... on a broken wrist no less. He was always known for his egomaniac lifestyle and cocky attitude, but when he was playing it was no big deal. Soon as Gerber was hot Emery was out while his rehab took longer than usual and soon he became an apparent distraction with his antics. Last I checked we are fans of grown men playing a game in which they make millions to do so per year ... If they are rattled by one guy then they all should retire. Thankfully I don't buy this for one second despite Emery being bought out and turned into the black eye of the league. That is what you call a scapegoat. We did the same thing to Lalime after he fell in front of the Leafs regardless of standing up for the team and himself in previous season -- let alone the shutouts he had in the playoffs as well. Will Emery fail to bounce back like Lalime did? Patty never got it all back, but I think Ray is too cocky to be kicked down and kept there for long.

Moving on we saw Wade Redden leaving the orginization. We all saw that happening. We have also added to our roster the links of Jarrko Ruutu -- who adds the pest factor --, Alex Auld -- who replaces Emery to contest for the starting goalie netminder job --, Jeson Smith -- yet more grit and defensive prowess -- and Brendan Bell -- starting to sense a theme of grit here? I am --. We also re-signed Donovan, Glass and Vermette. I cannot wait for the the training camp to begin so we can get a closer look the team.

Now to a more serious note. One of my favourite sports media personalities in Ottawa, if not the world, passed away only a week ago. Tim "Buzz" Kilpatrick was one third of the popular Team 1200 morning show Three Guys on the Radio. Throughout my school days I would wake up around 6:00am and flip on TGOR for a good morning fix. Maybe I am bias because my first Senators game in five years came from writing them an email, but I became an instant fan and listened almost daily (live or through podcast). Listening to the tribute show that Steve Warne and Stuntman Stu put on with Kenny Walls (producer) was tear jerking and heartfelt. Buzz you will be sadly missed.

Lastly, but not leastly, the blogs and the future. So, I noticed that there is a new blog out there called SensChirp (http://senschirp.blogspot.com/) dedicated to the rumour mills. So far this summer he has only been dead wrong once which makes me wonder who he is sleeping within the organisation. Ok, maybe not that extreme, but still ... he has some serious connections. He makes both Eklund and Garrioch look infinitely more terrible than they already are at keeping track of rumours with the Ottawa Senators. Another blog is by a friend of mine and is amusingly named Don't Pick Daigle (http://dontpickdaigle.blogspot.com/) that is much like this one really. Brad puts his heart and soul into talking hockey, but we're often quite different in opinions so if you don't like what I have to say you can always go read his. Ha! Finally, Sens Undgerground podcast ... I gave them a listen once. I really didn't like what they had to say, but I decided to turn over a new leaf with them and give them another listen. I am currently wating on their latest podcast to download and I will give it a listen.

So there you have it Sens Fans and Fanatics. Big Will's summer wrap up (at least up to the end of July). As news and rumours break I will take a few minutes to respond whenever I have the time. Other than that let's get ready for the 2008-09 season and see how this new face of the Ottawa Senators looks with a few less teeth and a whole lot more grittiness.

Arena to Arena ... is there a level playing surface?

Last night the Ottawa Senators played in the city of the Ducks; they lost to the tune of 3-1. The big story wasn't how the Ducks played or how the Senators were robbed by J.S. Giguere, but rather that the Ottawa Senators bench boss was ejected from the game late in the third period. Bryan Murray was absolutely ticked off with with how the game was being officiated and this sentiment has been echoed in the media before.

Gord Wilson (colour commentator for the Ottawa Senators on SportsNet and/or Team 1200 broadcasts) echoed the fans on a televised broadcast just recently when he questioned the officiating. He again did the same on a radio broadcast a few days later when he brought up Stephane Auger's persistence to call an often tighter than tight game. As a fan, I have felt quite miffed at the officiating that seems to go against my team, but I truly don't think it is the referees against the Ottawa Senators, but I do believe that there is a lot of inconsistency.

Depending on which Arena you are in and which officials are picked for the game the outcome can be vastly different. The officials for the NHL are not only there to provide a fair and neutral playing surface for the players, but I believe they are there to ensure fairness to help keep fans interested. Last night was a tough game to watch for the Sens fans not only because of the lateness of the game, but because the Senators were bullied into the ice with cross-checking, boarding and hits from behind that all went uncalled. There simply is no consistency with officials in the NHL city to city.

Bryan Murray wanted to talk to the league about the officiating and with his ejection from the game last night he will certainly have the chance. If the NHL wants to continue to grow they must flatten the playing surface with the referees and ensure that what is called in Ottawa is called in Detroit. What is a cross-check in Montreal is a cross-check in Los Angles.

On Monday we saw our team host the Maple Leafs ... the laughing stock of the NHL. With the trade deadline looming I expected both teams to play like pros because jobs were literally on the line for each club. The Senators were coming off one of the worst months for any hockey fan to watch. Close games are nice, but not when they have to go to extra time to resolve them because the supposedly hottest team in the NHL can't collectively stop a goal against. When Monday rolled around it looked like Emery had passion to play again, but it could have also been the bolstering of trade interest that kept him between the pipes; either way, he was keeping the guys into it until they faced Toronto.

Losing so decisively was not because the Leafs were simply stellar. Don’t get me wrong, they were good, but they were no better than they have been all season long (exception being Tucker ... I may hate the guy as a player, but he played a great game). Last year I watched a spot when Alfie called out Emery at practice, asking him if he could stop a beach ball or not and I was reminded of that again on Monday. Not only did Emery drop the ball, but the team in front of him simply couldn’t do anything to battle back against one of the worst teams in the league.

Tuesday simply could not come fast enough and I am sure the players thought the same thing as they rolled into Bean-Town. I sat watching the trade deadline come, acquire LaPointe, laughed at the Penguins who blew away some future life and shook my head as Huet hit the Caps for a pick; it was an odd day of silliness, but I thought the Senators were free and clear. Again the Senators allowed another shutout and with the trade deadline passed there as only one thing the team could do ... fire John Paddock.

Wednesday afternoon the fans of the franchise, on the par, got their wish and Paddock (along with Low) was fired. Each have been rumoured to have offers within the organization, but I don’t know the validity or likelihood of those. What I do know is that I have been somewhat vocal, but patient with how this team has been split at the seams. So, with Murray back as the couch, what does this mean? I have made a short list of changes we’ll see pretty quickly based off of past successes.

- No more two or three men below the goal line pretending to be Gretzky
- No more cycling the puck around away from high percentage scoring zones
- No more open shots at the net without traffic going to get some garbage
- No more soft plays with no responsibility and accountability of each player on the ice
- No more quiet bench boss who’s too afraid of his shadow to actually yell at a player
- An immediate sense of urgency as the players are now facing the reality that they may lose their playoff contention if they do not turn it around now
- No more of Jason Spezza’s drop passing to the slot, no more Meszaros’ wimpy hands up checks, no more Alfredsson’s single handed passion, no more goaltending cry baby antics from either one of them and most importantly, no more skating around with the puck, standing still without it and not actually hitting someone ...

Welcome back to the era of Murray. The basics of hockey, hardnosed, fast paced, tight checking kind of game where you make a mistake you get told it. With Murray at the helm this Titanic may actually avoid that iceberg and turn itself back to home ... the same home as the Stanley Cup. Lapointe said it best this morning in a spot with TGOR (http://www.team1200.com/tgor/index.asp) that the team needs to have a common goal in mind and once everyone is on the same page the team will succeed.

So welcome to my first blog post about the Senators. During the regular season and playoffs I will do a post-game insight into how I thought the game went. This means I may be dead wrong, but that's OK. I am a fan ... I get some liberties of being dumb now and again. When we hit the post-season I will only post the big ticket things that happen until the training camp.

Cheers,

Big Will