(UPDATE 1:12 PM)- Bryan Murray indicated that rookie defenceman Erik Karlsson wil be given every chance to make the big team this fall and he fully expects him to do so.
(UPDATE 12:41 PM)- Bryan Murray provided a small update in today's conference call regarding Dany Heatley. Murray stated that while he continues to speak with a couple of teams he would like to set a deadline of sorts where he will completely cut off Heatley talks.
Sounds as though he is preparing to have Heatley back with the Senators this fall.
(UPDATE 10:46 AM)- The Ottawa Senators will be holding a Fan Forum Call this afternoon at 12:30 PM. The event gives fans a chance to talk directly with Eugene Melnyk, Cyril Leeder and Bryan Murray. You can follow along with the call on Sens TV on the Ottawa Senators website.
A couple of interesting notes from the Ottawa Sun to start off the week.
It appears as though we can finally scratch the LA Kings off the list of potential destinations for Dany Heatley. At their annual fan fest in Los Angeles, Dean Lombardi addressed the Heatley situation and made it pretty clear hes not a guy they are prepared to take a chance on.
The Kings have been a team rumoured to have interest from the beginning but I think at this point we can officially rule them out.
Bruce Garrioch also mentioned today that if the Senators can find a trade involving Dany Heatley they are looking at a couple different top 6 forward options.
Garrioch mentioned both Mike Comrie and Petr Sykora has options the Senators are looking at if they move Heatley and don't get scoring help back in the deal. Comrie remains a long shot at this point as communication between the two sides has been very limited.
Like everything else involving the Senators this off season this will obviously be directly linked to whether or not they can move Dany Heatley.
Updates coming as I get them...
Showing newest 27 of 33 posts from August 2009. Show older posts
Showing newest 27 of 33 posts from August 2009. Show older posts
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Quick Weekend Update
With the Sharks clearing some cap space this past Friday it looks as though they are preparing to add an impact player to their line up. Will it be Dany Heatley? That question remains unanswered.
I figured this would be a pretty frantic weekend on the rumour front but all is quiet so far. The Sharks have yet to table another offer since the trade with Vancouver but most sources seem to believe its only a matter of time.
The Senators absolutely would love to move Heatley before the start of camp but will not have their hand forced. Murray remains patient and will not move Dany unless he gets the right offer.
The offers haven't been where they need to be all summer but the thinking is with camp just under two weeks away interested GM's are starting to realize Murray is not backing down.
Talks should definitely heat up next week.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone...
I figured this would be a pretty frantic weekend on the rumour front but all is quiet so far. The Sharks have yet to table another offer since the trade with Vancouver but most sources seem to believe its only a matter of time.
The Senators absolutely would love to move Heatley before the start of camp but will not have their hand forced. Murray remains patient and will not move Dany unless he gets the right offer.
The offers haven't been where they need to be all summer but the thinking is with camp just under two weeks away interested GM's are starting to realize Murray is not backing down.
Talks should definitely heat up next week.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone...
Friday, August 28, 2009
Heatley Camp Getting Desperate
(UPDATE 2:47 PM)- Darren Dreger has just said on his Twitter that while the deal with Vancouver does free up space, the talks between Ottawa and San Jose have "gone cold."
(UPDATE 2:14 PM)- The Sharks have apparently made some cap space today by trading Ehrhoff and Lukowich to the Canucks for prospects. With this deal the Sharks suddenly have some of the cap space they need. Stay tuned...
If the reaction from Calgary fans is any indication it could be a long season for Dany Heatley. He heard boo's each time he touched the puck and that's coming from his hometown fans. One can only imagine the reception he will get if he does end up returning to Ottawa this coming October.
While Murray is continuing his search for the right trade involving Heatley it sounds as though a lot of the work is being done by the Heatley camp at this point. Heatley, along with his agents JP Barry and Stacey McAlpine are apparently getting pretty desperate for a deal and have been contacting the interested teams directly.
This may seem a little unorthodox but early on in this process Murray gave Heatley's camp permission to seek out their on deal if need be. They are doing just that with training camp just around the corner.
At this point it really appears as though Murray has complete control of the situation. He can afford to hang on to him because if Dany wants to be a part of Team Canada he will have to show up in Ottawa and play well. Heatley is desperate to get out but if theres no deal made he has no choice but to show up in Ottawa and give his best effort.
Whats interesting is there isn't a whole lot of talk of how Bryan Murray will potentially get under the cap if the the trade can't be made. This leads me to believe that Murray has not ruled out a trade involving Heatley.
We all know the possibilities (Smith on the long term IR, Picard or Kelly Traded, Schubert waived) but to this point there isn't any indication any of those moves are any closer to being completed.
Lastly, I think I'll steer clear of this whole Kovalev wanting to finish in Montreal thing. Lets just chalk this up as a guy catering to the local Montreal media and trying to show some level of respect and loyalty to a franchise that he spent four season with. No need to throw the guy under the bus before he even plays a game with the organization.
Although it appears as though the local media has already taken care of that.
(UPDATE 2:14 PM)- The Sharks have apparently made some cap space today by trading Ehrhoff and Lukowich to the Canucks for prospects. With this deal the Sharks suddenly have some of the cap space they need. Stay tuned...
If the reaction from Calgary fans is any indication it could be a long season for Dany Heatley. He heard boo's each time he touched the puck and that's coming from his hometown fans. One can only imagine the reception he will get if he does end up returning to Ottawa this coming October.
While Murray is continuing his search for the right trade involving Heatley it sounds as though a lot of the work is being done by the Heatley camp at this point. Heatley, along with his agents JP Barry and Stacey McAlpine are apparently getting pretty desperate for a deal and have been contacting the interested teams directly.
This may seem a little unorthodox but early on in this process Murray gave Heatley's camp permission to seek out their on deal if need be. They are doing just that with training camp just around the corner.
At this point it really appears as though Murray has complete control of the situation. He can afford to hang on to him because if Dany wants to be a part of Team Canada he will have to show up in Ottawa and play well. Heatley is desperate to get out but if theres no deal made he has no choice but to show up in Ottawa and give his best effort.
Whats interesting is there isn't a whole lot of talk of how Bryan Murray will potentially get under the cap if the the trade can't be made. This leads me to believe that Murray has not ruled out a trade involving Heatley.
We all know the possibilities (Smith on the long term IR, Picard or Kelly Traded, Schubert waived) but to this point there isn't any indication any of those moves are any closer to being completed.
Lastly, I think I'll steer clear of this whole Kovalev wanting to finish in Montreal thing. Lets just chalk this up as a guy catering to the local Montreal media and trying to show some level of respect and loyalty to a franchise that he spent four season with. No need to throw the guy under the bus before he even plays a game with the organization.
Although it appears as though the local media has already taken care of that.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
My Take
(UPDATE- 6:47 PM)- Not sure if anyone is interested (I know I am) but the Team Canada Red and White game will be streamed live tonight at 9:00 PM on www.ctvolympics.ca
Should be worth a watch.
(UPDATE- 3:48 PM)- Here's an interesting little update from the Team Canada Orientation Camp. Word is Dany Heatley has been trying to "sell himself" to San Jose Shark defenceman Dan Boyle. Heatley is hoping that he can convince Boyle to have management in San Jose take a chance on him.
Not sure how much pull Boyle would have but he very well could be the next captain in San Jose. Really goes to show how desperate Heatley is to get out of Ottawa before camp opens next month.
This Dany Heatley saga has brought out the worst in a lot of people, myself included. Trying to keep up with the rumours surrounding Heatley has been exhausting and having to sort through whats legit and what isn't is making the process that much more difficult.
I hope you can all appreciate how difficult this has been. I know the rumours have seemed a little more scattered than usual but that's because there has been so many leads coming in. Everyone wants to scoop this trade and as a result there are rumours coming from all across the NHL.
The reality of the situation is this. Bryan Murray has done an excellent job keeping this all under wraps. Bloggers like myself can speculate all they want but nobody really knows how this saga will end. The primary reason for that is because at this point, even Bryan Murray doesn't know how this is all going to shake out.
What we do know is Murray is not going to give Dany away. He needs to ensure that any trade involving Heatley protects this team both in the present and in the future. One thing we can all admire in this process is Murray's hard line stance when it comes to the return he needs to get for Heatley.
After hearing the conference call with Heatley this past Friday my instinct is telling me he will be traded before training camp. If Heatley felt there was a chance he needed to come back to Ottawa you think he would make some sort of effort to mend a fence or two.
Comments from Spezza, Clouston, Fisher and Neil all seem to indicate that the team would love to have this distraction dealt with before camp.
Heatley and his agents seem to truly believe theres a deal to be had. I think in all likelihood one or two GM's have contacted the Heatley camp and let them know they plan on taking a very serious run at him. The interested GM's have tried to wait Murray out but at this point its pretty clear Murray will bring Dany back if he can't get the offer he wants.
But thats just my take.
In the meantime, I'll continue to share the rumours with you as I get them. I'll do my best to sort through the mess that is this Heatley situation and try to keep you all as 'in the loop' as possible.
Teams that continue to pop up in the rumour mill on a daily basis include the Sharks, Rangers, Wild, Kings and Oilers.
The good news is training camp is only a few weeks away and hopefully we'll finally have something new to talk about.
Updates coming as I get them...
Should be worth a watch.
(UPDATE- 3:48 PM)- Here's an interesting little update from the Team Canada Orientation Camp. Word is Dany Heatley has been trying to "sell himself" to San Jose Shark defenceman Dan Boyle. Heatley is hoping that he can convince Boyle to have management in San Jose take a chance on him.
Not sure how much pull Boyle would have but he very well could be the next captain in San Jose. Really goes to show how desperate Heatley is to get out of Ottawa before camp opens next month.
This Dany Heatley saga has brought out the worst in a lot of people, myself included. Trying to keep up with the rumours surrounding Heatley has been exhausting and having to sort through whats legit and what isn't is making the process that much more difficult.
I hope you can all appreciate how difficult this has been. I know the rumours have seemed a little more scattered than usual but that's because there has been so many leads coming in. Everyone wants to scoop this trade and as a result there are rumours coming from all across the NHL.
The reality of the situation is this. Bryan Murray has done an excellent job keeping this all under wraps. Bloggers like myself can speculate all they want but nobody really knows how this saga will end. The primary reason for that is because at this point, even Bryan Murray doesn't know how this is all going to shake out.
What we do know is Murray is not going to give Dany away. He needs to ensure that any trade involving Heatley protects this team both in the present and in the future. One thing we can all admire in this process is Murray's hard line stance when it comes to the return he needs to get for Heatley.
After hearing the conference call with Heatley this past Friday my instinct is telling me he will be traded before training camp. If Heatley felt there was a chance he needed to come back to Ottawa you think he would make some sort of effort to mend a fence or two.
Comments from Spezza, Clouston, Fisher and Neil all seem to indicate that the team would love to have this distraction dealt with before camp.
Heatley and his agents seem to truly believe theres a deal to be had. I think in all likelihood one or two GM's have contacted the Heatley camp and let them know they plan on taking a very serious run at him. The interested GM's have tried to wait Murray out but at this point its pretty clear Murray will bring Dany back if he can't get the offer he wants.
But thats just my take.
In the meantime, I'll continue to share the rumours with you as I get them. I'll do my best to sort through the mess that is this Heatley situation and try to keep you all as 'in the loop' as possible.
Teams that continue to pop up in the rumour mill on a daily basis include the Sharks, Rangers, Wild, Kings and Oilers.
The good news is training camp is only a few weeks away and hopefully we'll finally have something new to talk about.
Updates coming as I get them...
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
"Whole Story Will Come Out Later" Ottawa Sun
(UPDATE 2:08 PM)- I have been doing some digging on the Los Angeles front the last couple of days and to this point, I've come up empty. While the Kings were very much interested in the early going and went as far as to contact the Heatley camp, there has been no offer from them as of late.
Speaking with a source on the Kings end of things he says he would be 'very surprised' if they made an offer before the start of training camp.
Theres an interesting article that was just posted on the Ottawa Sun website. It sounds like Dany Heatley is hinting that there is more to his trade demand and that when everything is sorted out the truth will come out.
Heatley is quoted as saying, "“I don’t want to get into it — when it’s all said and done, that time will come.”
Prior to that press conference last Friday, a large number of fans were ready to forgive and forget and welcome Heatley back to Ottawa this fall.
I'm not sure why this didn't come up in his orchestrated press conference last week but it really seems like something Dany should have mentioned, even if he couldn't get into the details.
Had he said it was for 'personal reasons', I'm sure fans in this city would have a more favourable opinion of the guy.
Speaking with a source on the Kings end of things he says he would be 'very surprised' if they made an offer before the start of training camp.
Theres an interesting article that was just posted on the Ottawa Sun website. It sounds like Dany Heatley is hinting that there is more to his trade demand and that when everything is sorted out the truth will come out.
Heatley is quoted as saying, "“I don’t want to get into it — when it’s all said and done, that time will come.”
Prior to that press conference last Friday, a large number of fans were ready to forgive and forget and welcome Heatley back to Ottawa this fall.
I'm not sure why this didn't come up in his orchestrated press conference last week but it really seems like something Dany should have mentioned, even if he couldn't get into the details.
Had he said it was for 'personal reasons', I'm sure fans in this city would have a more favourable opinion of the guy.
Tuesday Taste
(UPDATE 6:58 PM)- One source I spoke with late this afternoon said he would put it at about a 90% chance Heatley returns to Ottawa this season. Not exactly an encouraging percentage for those hoping this distraction can be dealt with prior to camp.
(UPDATE 12:32 PM)- Thanks to the reader who sent this in. Looks like former Binghamton Senator Jeff Glass will soon be signing in the KHL.
Glass, a third round draft pick of the Senators in 2004, has spent the last three seasons in Bingo but never really developed the way the Senators hoped he would.
Interesting post coming from a New York Rangers blog called The Dark Ranger.
The rumour states that the Los Angeles Kings may be gearing up for a pitch at Dany Heatley and that their offer would include Frolov, Hickey and Moller and a conditional pick.
All I can say is that no such offer has been made at this point. The Kings are trying to deflect all attention when it comes to Dany and are trying to make it clear they are not interested. Reality is they would love to add Heatley to their line up and they are actually one of the teams that contacted the Heatley camp to express an interest.
The rumoured deal is one that was mentioned early on in this process and in my opinion would be enough to get a deal done. Unfortunately, to this point anyway, the Kings have made no such offer.
Updates coming as I get them...
(UPDATE 12:32 PM)- Thanks to the reader who sent this in. Looks like former Binghamton Senator Jeff Glass will soon be signing in the KHL.
Glass, a third round draft pick of the Senators in 2004, has spent the last three seasons in Bingo but never really developed the way the Senators hoped he would.
Interesting post coming from a New York Rangers blog called The Dark Ranger.
The rumour states that the Los Angeles Kings may be gearing up for a pitch at Dany Heatley and that their offer would include Frolov, Hickey and Moller and a conditional pick.
All I can say is that no such offer has been made at this point. The Kings are trying to deflect all attention when it comes to Dany and are trying to make it clear they are not interested. Reality is they would love to add Heatley to their line up and they are actually one of the teams that contacted the Heatley camp to express an interest.
The rumoured deal is one that was mentioned early on in this process and in my opinion would be enough to get a deal done. Unfortunately, to this point anyway, the Kings have made no such offer.
Updates coming as I get them...
Monday, August 24, 2009
Will He Stay or Will He Go?
(UPDATE- 9:09 PM)- As I'm sure many of you have heard, there's a rumour out there today that Patrick Marleau may have refused to waive his NTC in a three team deal involving Heatley earlier this month.
While the rumour is news to me, it wouldn't be surprising as Marleau has apparently been extremely reluctant when it comes to waiving his NTC and is apparently quite fond of the Sharks despite his recent letter removal.
With Marleau wanting to stay and Murray's lack of interest in Cheechoo the trade scenarios with San Jose are becoming extremely limited. One source even suggested to me earlier today that Murray has told Wilson that a deal between the two sides is pretty much impossible.
Like the rest of you, I've taken the weekend to think about the Dany Heatley conference call and my opinion remains the same. I see no way the Senators can actually bring this guy back next season.
Unfortunately what I want and the reality of the situation are two very different things. Every indication I got over the weekend is that while Heatley may not be the most popular guy in Ottawa, he will in all likelihood be an Ottawa Senators when training camp opens up next month.
There are still teams kicking tires regarding Dany Heatley but the fact that the offers haven't improved much since June really shows you how tough it will be to get a deal done. The Heatley camp is convinced there is legitimate interest in his services and they remain optimistic that something can get done before camp.
Matthew Barry over at Hockeybuzz has once again brought up the possibility of the LA Kings taking a run at Dany. They have been quite public with their disinterest up until now but things are a little different behind closed doors. They were one of the teams that expressed an interest in Heatley from the start but have since acquired Ryan Smyth. Should be interesting to see if they make another pitch before the season opens up in just over five weeks.
The Sharks will definitely be in the mix as well but as we all know, their cap restrictions and reluctance to meet Murray's asking price remain prominent road blocks in their pursuit. With that said, it's believed Murray continues to be in contact with the Sharks about Dany Heatley.
As Murray said in his conference call there are 3 or 4 teams that are interested. Its my belief that those teams include San Jose, Minnesota, New York and Edmonton. Murray believes that at this point, one or two of those teams is actually serious about trading for Heatley.
Can a deal still get done? Absolutely. But at this point its pretty clear we need to prepare to have Dany Heatley as a member of the Ottawa Senators in the 2009/2010 season.
Hope to have an update later today...
While the rumour is news to me, it wouldn't be surprising as Marleau has apparently been extremely reluctant when it comes to waiving his NTC and is apparently quite fond of the Sharks despite his recent letter removal.
With Marleau wanting to stay and Murray's lack of interest in Cheechoo the trade scenarios with San Jose are becoming extremely limited. One source even suggested to me earlier today that Murray has told Wilson that a deal between the two sides is pretty much impossible.
Like the rest of you, I've taken the weekend to think about the Dany Heatley conference call and my opinion remains the same. I see no way the Senators can actually bring this guy back next season.
Unfortunately what I want and the reality of the situation are two very different things. Every indication I got over the weekend is that while Heatley may not be the most popular guy in Ottawa, he will in all likelihood be an Ottawa Senators when training camp opens up next month.
There are still teams kicking tires regarding Dany Heatley but the fact that the offers haven't improved much since June really shows you how tough it will be to get a deal done. The Heatley camp is convinced there is legitimate interest in his services and they remain optimistic that something can get done before camp.
Matthew Barry over at Hockeybuzz has once again brought up the possibility of the LA Kings taking a run at Dany. They have been quite public with their disinterest up until now but things are a little different behind closed doors. They were one of the teams that expressed an interest in Heatley from the start but have since acquired Ryan Smyth. Should be interesting to see if they make another pitch before the season opens up in just over five weeks.
The Sharks will definitely be in the mix as well but as we all know, their cap restrictions and reluctance to meet Murray's asking price remain prominent road blocks in their pursuit. With that said, it's believed Murray continues to be in contact with the Sharks about Dany Heatley.
As Murray said in his conference call there are 3 or 4 teams that are interested. Its my belief that those teams include San Jose, Minnesota, New York and Edmonton. Murray believes that at this point, one or two of those teams is actually serious about trading for Heatley.
Can a deal still get done? Absolutely. But at this point its pretty clear we need to prepare to have Dany Heatley as a member of the Ottawa Senators in the 2009/2010 season.
Hope to have an update later today...
Friday, August 21, 2009
The Heatley Conference Call
For those of you who didn't get a chance to listen in, here are a few notes from today's media conference call with Dany Heatley.
- His request to be traded has not changed. He did not make it public nor did his reps
-He has been training and skating in Kelowna
-This (trade request) was something that had been brewing for awhile. Something he had thought about privately. In the middle of May they let Ottawa know.
-On Edmonton- Nothing to do with them personally. He wanted options. Heatley wasn't ready to commit until there are other options.
-Main reason isn't Cory. When he signed in Ottawa he felt it was to be integral part of the team. Feels his role has diminished and its something he has been thinking about for a long time. Wants to be allowed to thrive in all aspects of the game
-He never meant for the request to become public. That seems to be his biggest regret during this process
-Not worried about his reputation in all this. Knows that his teammates think hes a good guy.
-On the fans of Ottawa and his silence- he loves the fans in Ottawa, loves the city. Didn't speak until now because "there is a process that has to take place". Thought speaking would create more of a circus than there already was. He didn't want to complicate things.
- "I have a contract and I'll honour that contract." "We know there are 'other' teams out there that are interested and we hope something gets done."
-He remains confident that something (a trade) can get done.
- Edmonton wasn't the right choice because they were the only option.
Don't know about the rest of you but after hearing today's call I can now say confidently that I no longer want Dany Heatley on this team. Its time for the Senators to move on. We will be better off without him.
- His request to be traded has not changed. He did not make it public nor did his reps
-He has been training and skating in Kelowna
-This (trade request) was something that had been brewing for awhile. Something he had thought about privately. In the middle of May they let Ottawa know.
-On Edmonton- Nothing to do with them personally. He wanted options. Heatley wasn't ready to commit until there are other options.
-Main reason isn't Cory. When he signed in Ottawa he felt it was to be integral part of the team. Feels his role has diminished and its something he has been thinking about for a long time. Wants to be allowed to thrive in all aspects of the game
-He never meant for the request to become public. That seems to be his biggest regret during this process
-Not worried about his reputation in all this. Knows that his teammates think hes a good guy.
-On the fans of Ottawa and his silence- he loves the fans in Ottawa, loves the city. Didn't speak until now because "there is a process that has to take place". Thought speaking would create more of a circus than there already was. He didn't want to complicate things.
- "I have a contract and I'll honour that contract." "We know there are 'other' teams out there that are interested and we hope something gets done."
-He remains confident that something (a trade) can get done.
- Edmonton wasn't the right choice because they were the only option.
Don't know about the rest of you but after hearing today's call I can now say confidently that I no longer want Dany Heatley on this team. Its time for the Senators to move on. We will be better off without him.
Dany's Day
After a summer of silence, disgruntled Senators forward Dany Heatley will finally speak to the media today at 1:00 PM.
We'd be foolish to expect much of this conference call and press conference but after a summer of speculation it will be good to finally hear from the man himself.
More than likely, we'll just hear a brief and orchestrated summary of the things we already know with no real insight into what has really been going on throughout the process. There was some good news yesterday though, when the Heatley camp confirmed that if a deal can't be reached he will report to camp and honour his contract with the Ottawa Senators.
Heatley will be accompanied by his agent Stacey McAlpine this afternoon.
The Team 1200 will be carrying today's proceedings live, beginning at 1:00 PM.
NHL.com has a good piece on the Senators today as well. Check it out here.
We'd be foolish to expect much of this conference call and press conference but after a summer of speculation it will be good to finally hear from the man himself.
More than likely, we'll just hear a brief and orchestrated summary of the things we already know with no real insight into what has really been going on throughout the process. There was some good news yesterday though, when the Heatley camp confirmed that if a deal can't be reached he will report to camp and honour his contract with the Ottawa Senators.
Heatley will be accompanied by his agent Stacey McAlpine this afternoon.
The Team 1200 will be carrying today's proceedings live, beginning at 1:00 PM.
NHL.com has a good piece on the Senators today as well. Check it out here.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Heatley to Speak
(UPDATE 3:28 PM)- Heatley will be holding a media conference call from his home in Kelowna and then there will be a press conference afterwards.
(UPDATE 3:17 PM)- According to Darren Dregger's Twitter account, Dany Heatley will be speaking tomorrow.
TSN is reporting that Dany Heatley will finally break his silence sometime in the next few days.
The article also says that if Heatley is not traded before camp he will report and honour his contract with the Senators.
http://tsn.ca/blogs/?id=288268
(UPDATE 3:17 PM)- According to Darren Dregger's Twitter account, Dany Heatley will be speaking tomorrow.
TSN is reporting that Dany Heatley will finally break his silence sometime in the next few days.
The article also says that if Heatley is not traded before camp he will report and honour his contract with the Senators.
http://tsn.ca/blogs/?id=288268
Chiodo Signs
Its been rumoured for awhile now but today the Senators made it official. The club announced the signing of veteran goalie Andy Chiodo to a one year, two-way contract.
Chiodo is expected to battle for a spot in Bingo next season.
http://www.ottawasun.com/sports/2009/08/20/10533606.html
Chiodo is expected to battle for a spot in Bingo next season.
http://www.ottawasun.com/sports/2009/08/20/10533606.html
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Not Much Going On
Things continue to be quiet on the Heatley front.
There was some speculation that the Marleau announcement yesterday could be a sign of things to come but there has been no talk on that front. I happen to like the idea of Marleau here in Ottawa but its pretty unlikely he would waive his NTC.
The Sabres apparently have an interest in Marleau but its even more unlikely he would waive to go to Buffalo. Marleau is apparently pretty happy in San Jose even with the C being taken away from him. Its interesting to two of the teams rumoured to have an interest in Heatley talking trade with each other.
Things also seemed to have have cooled off on the Minnesota front. Heading into this past weekend there really seemed to be potential in the trade talks but things have completely dried up this week.
Wish I had more to share but it seems as though Murray really intends on sticking to his deadline from last week. As I've said before, there's still a chance Heatley could move before camp but its going to take an offer that blows Murray away.
Am I the only one who misses that Edmonton deal?
There was some speculation that the Marleau announcement yesterday could be a sign of things to come but there has been no talk on that front. I happen to like the idea of Marleau here in Ottawa but its pretty unlikely he would waive his NTC.
The Sabres apparently have an interest in Marleau but its even more unlikely he would waive to go to Buffalo. Marleau is apparently pretty happy in San Jose even with the C being taken away from him. Its interesting to two of the teams rumoured to have an interest in Heatley talking trade with each other.
Things also seemed to have have cooled off on the Minnesota front. Heading into this past weekend there really seemed to be potential in the trade talks but things have completely dried up this week.
Wish I had more to share but it seems as though Murray really intends on sticking to his deadline from last week. As I've said before, there's still a chance Heatley could move before camp but its going to take an offer that blows Murray away.
Am I the only one who misses that Edmonton deal?
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
A Slow Tuesday
(UPDATE-3:09 PM)- It appears as though the Senators interest in Comrie was overstated earlier. Just got an email recently that suggested Comrie is a long shot to return to Ottawa and that there has been little to no contact between the two sides so far this off season. If the Senators are indeed looking at adding a top 6, Comrie is apparently quite unlikely at this point.
Not a whole lot going on today so far.
With the Olympic Orientation camp set to begin next Monday, word is the Team Canada brass has asked Heatley to speak before attending camp.
The media will be all over Dany regardless but it certainly would help matters if he made a statement before hand. Theres always a chance Murray finds a way to deal him before then but if not, prepare for one heck of a media circus on Monday.
The latest on Heatley is apparently pretty simple. The offers are still not where Bryan Murray wants them to be and really haven't improved a great deal since his request in June. Murray isn't going to be lowballed so unless another team really steps up, we need to start preparing for life with Dany Heatley in this line up.
If Dany Heatley is a Senators this fall, Bryan Murray will have to find a way to cut some salary to get under the cap. The speculation continues regarding the status of veteran defenceman Jason Smith. If Smith starts the season on the long term IR that would give the Senators some breathing room against the cap as well clear up the log jam on the back end a little bit.
Other cap causality candidates include Christoph Schubert, Alex Picard and Chris Kelly. Depending on where you get your figures from, the Senators will need to trim about $2.8 million (Less than that according to Cap Geek) to fit Heatley in. Of that group, Chris Kelly would certainly be the player that draws the most interest around the league.
I noticed some talk in the comment section on Vaclav Prospal. I can tell you that the Senators never considered the former Senator as an option even though he does seem like a bit of a bargain at $1.1 million a season.
Ottawa would love to add another top 6 forward if they could but right now money is tight. The names of Mike Comrie and Maxim Afinogenov have come up in the past with Comrie being the most likely options of those two. There are apparently a handful of teams showing interest in Comrie including the Anaheim Ducks and the Minnesota Wild.
As always, updates coming when and if I get them...
Not a whole lot going on today so far.
With the Olympic Orientation camp set to begin next Monday, word is the Team Canada brass has asked Heatley to speak before attending camp.
The media will be all over Dany regardless but it certainly would help matters if he made a statement before hand. Theres always a chance Murray finds a way to deal him before then but if not, prepare for one heck of a media circus on Monday.
The latest on Heatley is apparently pretty simple. The offers are still not where Bryan Murray wants them to be and really haven't improved a great deal since his request in June. Murray isn't going to be lowballed so unless another team really steps up, we need to start preparing for life with Dany Heatley in this line up.
If Dany Heatley is a Senators this fall, Bryan Murray will have to find a way to cut some salary to get under the cap. The speculation continues regarding the status of veteran defenceman Jason Smith. If Smith starts the season on the long term IR that would give the Senators some breathing room against the cap as well clear up the log jam on the back end a little bit.
Other cap causality candidates include Christoph Schubert, Alex Picard and Chris Kelly. Depending on where you get your figures from, the Senators will need to trim about $2.8 million (Less than that according to Cap Geek) to fit Heatley in. Of that group, Chris Kelly would certainly be the player that draws the most interest around the league.
I noticed some talk in the comment section on Vaclav Prospal. I can tell you that the Senators never considered the former Senator as an option even though he does seem like a bit of a bargain at $1.1 million a season.
Ottawa would love to add another top 6 forward if they could but right now money is tight. The names of Mike Comrie and Maxim Afinogenov have come up in the past with Comrie being the most likely options of those two. There are apparently a handful of teams showing interest in Comrie including the Anaheim Ducks and the Minnesota Wild.
As always, updates coming when and if I get them...
Monday, August 17, 2009
A New Week
All is quiet on the Dany Heatley front. After what was a pretty hectic week, the rumour mill seems to have dried up a little bit as we start the week.
By most accounts the conversations between Ottawa and Minnesota were actually quite productive but obviously not to the point where a deal could reached. There were some rumours out there over the weekend that the Wild had changed gears and were actually looking at signing Mike Comrie or Alex Tanguay to add some offence but that has not been confirmed.
The Sharks and Rangers have both gone quiet but don't be surprised if the Sharks quietly continue their pursuit.
For now though its seems as if we should start to prepare for life with Dany Heatley in the line up. I know quite a few of you have been trumpeting this possibility for awhile now but it certainly seems more likely after the passing of the Friday deadline.
I still feel as though offers will be made for Dany but its pretty clear Murray needs to start preparing as though Heatley will be a Senator in the 09/10 season. With the status of Jason Smith still unknown, Murray will now need to explore various options to trim to payroll a bit before the start of camp.
As much as we all want this Heatley story to go away its only going to become more prominent with the Team Canada camp set to open next Monday. All indications are that Dany Heatley will be in attendance and could potentially face the media for the first time since requesting a move out of Ottawa.
The Heatley camp would love to have a resolution by then but at this point their options are extremely limited.
On an unrelated note, I happened to see Martin Havlat out in Ottawa over the weekend. As much as I'd like to feed the rumour mill, I'm pretty sure it was just a coincidence. Ottawa was very much interested in bringing Havlat back this off season but couldn't compete with the term that was offered by the Wild.
Updates coming as I get them...
By most accounts the conversations between Ottawa and Minnesota were actually quite productive but obviously not to the point where a deal could reached. There were some rumours out there over the weekend that the Wild had changed gears and were actually looking at signing Mike Comrie or Alex Tanguay to add some offence but that has not been confirmed.
The Sharks and Rangers have both gone quiet but don't be surprised if the Sharks quietly continue their pursuit.
For now though its seems as if we should start to prepare for life with Dany Heatley in the line up. I know quite a few of you have been trumpeting this possibility for awhile now but it certainly seems more likely after the passing of the Friday deadline.
I still feel as though offers will be made for Dany but its pretty clear Murray needs to start preparing as though Heatley will be a Senator in the 09/10 season. With the status of Jason Smith still unknown, Murray will now need to explore various options to trim to payroll a bit before the start of camp.
As much as we all want this Heatley story to go away its only going to become more prominent with the Team Canada camp set to open next Monday. All indications are that Dany Heatley will be in attendance and could potentially face the media for the first time since requesting a move out of Ottawa.
The Heatley camp would love to have a resolution by then but at this point their options are extremely limited.
On an unrelated note, I happened to see Martin Havlat out in Ottawa over the weekend. As much as I'd like to feed the rumour mill, I'm pretty sure it was just a coincidence. Ottawa was very much interested in bringing Havlat back this off season but couldn't compete with the term that was offered by the Wild.
Updates coming as I get them...
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Life Goes On
With the Friday deadline come and gone there is an odd sense of calm surrounding the Ottawa Senators and in particular, the Dany Heatley situation. It seems as though the rumour mill has gone quiet for now with one time players like the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers apparently backing out.
Last I heard Ottawa and Minnesota were continuing work on a deal late last night but with no resolution in sight. It's a good sign that the two sides are still talking and I still get the sense there is a trade to be made.
In my opinion, there is still a very good chance Dany Heatley is moved prior to training camp. This deadline was put in place so that Bryan Murray could prepare for the 2009/2010 season assuming that Heatley will be in his line up. If a team were to come to Murray with a deal he liked, Murray would have no problem pulling the trigger.
The hope was that after this weekend Murray could go to the Heatley camp and say "your choices are the following" but at this point those choices are very limited. Theres no guarantee the Oilers would still consider Dany and the Buffalo deal remains just a rumour.
I keep waiting for the Sharks to get serious in all this and offer Murray a reasonable swap but as long as they insist on including Cheechoo, its hard to take them seriously.
If Ottawa can somehow get a deal worked out with Minnesota that would give Dany another option. The Wild aren't on Heatley's list but I get the sense if it came down to Ottawa or Minny it would be an easy choice for the Heatley camp. That's just speculation on my part though.
Last I heard Ottawa and Minnesota were continuing work on a deal late last night but with no resolution in sight. It's a good sign that the two sides are still talking and I still get the sense there is a trade to be made.
In my opinion, there is still a very good chance Dany Heatley is moved prior to training camp. This deadline was put in place so that Bryan Murray could prepare for the 2009/2010 season assuming that Heatley will be in his line up. If a team were to come to Murray with a deal he liked, Murray would have no problem pulling the trigger.
The hope was that after this weekend Murray could go to the Heatley camp and say "your choices are the following" but at this point those choices are very limited. Theres no guarantee the Oilers would still consider Dany and the Buffalo deal remains just a rumour.
I keep waiting for the Sharks to get serious in all this and offer Murray a reasonable swap but as long as they insist on including Cheechoo, its hard to take them seriously.
If Ottawa can somehow get a deal worked out with Minnesota that would give Dany another option. The Wild aren't on Heatley's list but I get the sense if it came down to Ottawa or Minny it would be an easy choice for the Heatley camp. That's just speculation on my part though.
Lastly, because we could all use a laugh during this excruciating process. Here is an offer that was apparently made by Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs early on in the Heatley saga. Definitely just a rumour but funny to think about.
To Ottawa: Kubina, Mayers, Stajan, White
To Toronto: Heatley, Shannon
Friday, August 14, 2009
How will it End?
(UPDATE- 11:21 PM)- I really wish I had some positive news to pass on here but I really don't. All indications are the Wild and Senators are still trying to get something done but they are no closer than they were this morning.
Seems as though the 'deadline' will come and go with Dany Heatley still a member of the Ottawa Senators. I guess I really shouldn't be surprised but I really had a sense there was a deal to be made today. Gotta admire the patience of Bryan Murray throughout the process though. He refuses to give Dany away and will not bend from his asking price.
Hard to say how things will change with the deadline come and gone. I'm sure theres still a trade to be had with the Wild but Murray must now start to prepare for life with Dany Heatley and evaluate his roster accordingly.
Here's hoping something breaks over the course of the weekend.
(UPDATE- 10:18 PM)- Rumours are swirling at this hour about a Monday press conference. I can say for certain that at this point there is no press conference scheduled.
According to an email I received recently it sounds as though the Sharks may be slowly fading out of the picture. They haven't budged from their Cheechoo stance and that will not be enough to get it done. Plain and simple.
Rumours indicate that the Wild and Senators continue to talk at this hour. Can't say for certain if a deal is any closer but the fact that they are still talking is a good sign I suppose. Nothing new from the Rangers today which more than likely means they are backing off.
I'm hoping to have one more update before the night is out.
(UPDATE- 7:57 PM)- Its quiet. Very quiet. Nothing new on the Sharks or the Wild since late this afternoon. By all accounts the Senators have gone into lockdown,making it essentially impossible to get any information. I really gotta hand it to Bryan Murray on this one. He has done an amazing job keeping this thing under wraps but at some point the fans need to know whats going on.
Hoping to speak with a source a little later this evening and see if I can learn a little bit about whats been going on this evening.
Meanwhile, I'd like to encourage you all to go out and buy this year's edition the Score Sports Forecaster. Its a pool junkies dream and even includes a brief blurb from yours truly. If that's not reason enough to buy the magazine I'm not sure what is!
(UPDATE- 5:38 PM)- Just got an email from a source that indicated the last Sharks offer may have included Anton Volchenkov moving along with Heatley. Its believed the D-man coming back from San Jose would have been Dan Boyle along with Cheechoo and a prospect.
I think we can dismiss that offer.
Like the rest of you, I am just about fed up with this Dany Heatley situation and I can say with complete confidence that Bryan Murray is feeling the same way at this hour.
This whole saga has been surrounded by rumours and speculation from the get go and its nearly impossible to tell fact from fiction. One minute I'm getting an email that says the Sharks have made another offer, the next minute they are out of it completely. San Jose has not given up on Dany Heatley...yet.
Nothing new on the Minnesota front either. They definitely have an interest but determining the contents of their offer has been next to impossible. One email says Brent Burns is in play, the next says no chance. What I do know is the Wild would love to make a splash and land Heatley but what they are willing to give up remains to be seen.
At this point I'm just doing my best to sort through the mess and try and keep the loyal SensChirp readers in the loop.
The Sharks are still interested. So is Minnesota. New York would still like to land him but have been pretty quiet today. The Sabres and Oilers are on the outside looking in. All the while the fans in Ottawa sit and wait for a resolution.
One thing is for sure though; its all coming to an end. People have their own ideas and theories on how its going to end but the one thing they agree on is that it is ending...soon.
I'll do my best to keep everyone in the loop throughout the evening.
Seems as though the 'deadline' will come and go with Dany Heatley still a member of the Ottawa Senators. I guess I really shouldn't be surprised but I really had a sense there was a deal to be made today. Gotta admire the patience of Bryan Murray throughout the process though. He refuses to give Dany away and will not bend from his asking price.
Hard to say how things will change with the deadline come and gone. I'm sure theres still a trade to be had with the Wild but Murray must now start to prepare for life with Dany Heatley and evaluate his roster accordingly.
Here's hoping something breaks over the course of the weekend.
(UPDATE- 10:18 PM)- Rumours are swirling at this hour about a Monday press conference. I can say for certain that at this point there is no press conference scheduled.
According to an email I received recently it sounds as though the Sharks may be slowly fading out of the picture. They haven't budged from their Cheechoo stance and that will not be enough to get it done. Plain and simple.
Rumours indicate that the Wild and Senators continue to talk at this hour. Can't say for certain if a deal is any closer but the fact that they are still talking is a good sign I suppose. Nothing new from the Rangers today which more than likely means they are backing off.
I'm hoping to have one more update before the night is out.
(UPDATE- 7:57 PM)- Its quiet. Very quiet. Nothing new on the Sharks or the Wild since late this afternoon. By all accounts the Senators have gone into lockdown,making it essentially impossible to get any information. I really gotta hand it to Bryan Murray on this one. He has done an amazing job keeping this thing under wraps but at some point the fans need to know whats going on.
Hoping to speak with a source a little later this evening and see if I can learn a little bit about whats been going on this evening.
Meanwhile, I'd like to encourage you all to go out and buy this year's edition the Score Sports Forecaster. Its a pool junkies dream and even includes a brief blurb from yours truly. If that's not reason enough to buy the magazine I'm not sure what is!
(UPDATE- 5:38 PM)- Just got an email from a source that indicated the last Sharks offer may have included Anton Volchenkov moving along with Heatley. Its believed the D-man coming back from San Jose would have been Dan Boyle along with Cheechoo and a prospect.
I think we can dismiss that offer.
Like the rest of you, I am just about fed up with this Dany Heatley situation and I can say with complete confidence that Bryan Murray is feeling the same way at this hour.
This whole saga has been surrounded by rumours and speculation from the get go and its nearly impossible to tell fact from fiction. One minute I'm getting an email that says the Sharks have made another offer, the next minute they are out of it completely. San Jose has not given up on Dany Heatley...yet.
Nothing new on the Minnesota front either. They definitely have an interest but determining the contents of their offer has been next to impossible. One email says Brent Burns is in play, the next says no chance. What I do know is the Wild would love to make a splash and land Heatley but what they are willing to give up remains to be seen.
At this point I'm just doing my best to sort through the mess and try and keep the loyal SensChirp readers in the loop.
The Sharks are still interested. So is Minnesota. New York would still like to land him but have been pretty quiet today. The Sabres and Oilers are on the outside looking in. All the while the fans in Ottawa sit and wait for a resolution.
One thing is for sure though; its all coming to an end. People have their own ideas and theories on how its going to end but the one thing they agree on is that it is ending...soon.
I'll do my best to keep everyone in the loop throughout the evening.
Sharks Make an Offer
It sounds like the San Jose Sharks are making another pitch for Heatley this afternoon.
The offer will once again include Jonathan Cheechoo but has apparently been restructured and now includes a different Sharks blueliner.
No word yet on the Senators reaction to the latest offer.
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
Deadline Eve (and Day)
(UPDATE- 1:21 PM)- Things seem to have gone oddly quiet. Last I heard, Ottawa and Minnesota continue to explore possible trade options but nothing is set in stone at this point. There seems to be a belief something can be worked out but as of yet nothing to report.
The Sharks have yet to table another offer but everyone seems to think its coming. Nothing new out of the Rangers as they continue to work on inking Brandon Dubinsky. We'll see how this all unfolds as the afternoon rolls on.
Heading out to enjoy this weather a little bit but I'll have Blackberry in hand to post any updates I get.
(UPDATE- 12:09 PM)- I should probably clear up something about today's apparent deadline. If someone was to come to Murray with a deal he liked after today I'm sure he would accept it. The deadline is the cut off for trade negotiations involving Heatley. After today Murray will move forward with Dany Heatley on his roster and will make moves accordingly.
Could Heatley be moved after today? Obviously. Murray just won't be negotiating any trade after today. This has gone on long enough. The team needs to know what direction they are headed and prepare for the upcoming season accordingly.
(UPDATE- 10:56 AM)- As some of you have already pointed out there may be an issue getting Heatley to waive if a deal can be reached with the Wild. However there is no indication that Ottawa and Minnesota are any closer to a deal at this hour. The thinking is San Jose will make one last pitch at some point today but if Cheechoo is involved they can forget about it.
(UPDATE- 9:13 AM)- The Wild arent budging on Havlat. There does appear to be some flexibility to their deal but they aren't interested in including their free agent acquisition. Not surpising really.
Here we sit, the night before the deadline in the Dany Heatley sweepstakes and it sounds like the Minnesota Wild have tabled an offer that will be tough for Murray to turn down.
While the proposed deal does not include stud defenceman Brent Bruns, it does apparently include Mikko Koivu, Nick Schultz and Tyler Cuma. Rumours are there would be other pieces involved both on Ottawa's end as well as Minnesota's. Sounds like the swap could include a salary dump on Ottawa's end and potentially Colton Gillies coming back from Minnesota.
By all indications there is a very solid offer coming from Minnesota although Ottawa is trying to see if they can include Martin Havlat in the package. Even if the Wild decide not to include Havlat, they will still have a very legitimate offer on the table for Heatley.
The Buffalo offer remains the best tabled offer but word is it has already been turned down by the Heatley camp. Like Edmonton, Buffalo has presented an offer that Murray likes but that Heatley's camp does not.
If I had to rank the likelihood of the potential destinations at this point it would be as follows...
1) Ottawa
2) Minnesota
3) New York
4) San Jose
5) Buffalo
6) Edmonton
By all accounts the Canucks are officially out of the running.
More coming in the morning...
The Sharks have yet to table another offer but everyone seems to think its coming. Nothing new out of the Rangers as they continue to work on inking Brandon Dubinsky. We'll see how this all unfolds as the afternoon rolls on.
Heading out to enjoy this weather a little bit but I'll have Blackberry in hand to post any updates I get.
(UPDATE- 12:09 PM)- I should probably clear up something about today's apparent deadline. If someone was to come to Murray with a deal he liked after today I'm sure he would accept it. The deadline is the cut off for trade negotiations involving Heatley. After today Murray will move forward with Dany Heatley on his roster and will make moves accordingly.
Could Heatley be moved after today? Obviously. Murray just won't be negotiating any trade after today. This has gone on long enough. The team needs to know what direction they are headed and prepare for the upcoming season accordingly.
(UPDATE- 10:56 AM)- As some of you have already pointed out there may be an issue getting Heatley to waive if a deal can be reached with the Wild. However there is no indication that Ottawa and Minnesota are any closer to a deal at this hour. The thinking is San Jose will make one last pitch at some point today but if Cheechoo is involved they can forget about it.
(UPDATE- 9:13 AM)- The Wild arent budging on Havlat. There does appear to be some flexibility to their deal but they aren't interested in including their free agent acquisition. Not surpising really.
Here we sit, the night before the deadline in the Dany Heatley sweepstakes and it sounds like the Minnesota Wild have tabled an offer that will be tough for Murray to turn down.
While the proposed deal does not include stud defenceman Brent Bruns, it does apparently include Mikko Koivu, Nick Schultz and Tyler Cuma. Rumours are there would be other pieces involved both on Ottawa's end as well as Minnesota's. Sounds like the swap could include a salary dump on Ottawa's end and potentially Colton Gillies coming back from Minnesota.
By all indications there is a very solid offer coming from Minnesota although Ottawa is trying to see if they can include Martin Havlat in the package. Even if the Wild decide not to include Havlat, they will still have a very legitimate offer on the table for Heatley.
The Buffalo offer remains the best tabled offer but word is it has already been turned down by the Heatley camp. Like Edmonton, Buffalo has presented an offer that Murray likes but that Heatley's camp does not.
If I had to rank the likelihood of the potential destinations at this point it would be as follows...
1) Ottawa
2) Minnesota
3) New York
4) San Jose
5) Buffalo
6) Edmonton
By all accounts the Canucks are officially out of the running.
More coming in the morning...
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The Day Before the Deadline
(UPDATE-2:02 PM)- A little more on this apparent deadline. Indications are that this really is a hard deadline for any team interested in trading for Heatley. Murray will apparently not consider any offers for Dany after that day and will begin preparations for a season with Dany Heatley in his line up. This has gone on long enough and the Senators need to know what direction they are headed
If any interested GM's are reading this (Doug Wilson, I know you're out there) you better step up your offers now!
With just one day to go till the apparent deadline set by Bryan Murray there seems to be an odd calm this morning. I should probably mention that while Murray has apparently set a deadline that doesn't mean things cant happen after.
The deadline was more so put in place by Murray so he can focus on other things after the end of this week. If a deal isn't completed or in place by tomorrow then Murray will proceed with off season activities assuming Dany Heatley and his $7.5 mil salary will be in Ottawa.
As we stand now there are still a handful of teams that are showing interest in Heatley but to this point no one has met the asking price, with the exception of Edmonton and Buffalo of course. Those two teams have tabled offers deemed acceptable by Murray but unacceptable by the Heatley camp.
The Sharks remain in the hunt but have apparently tabled their final offer. Its an offer that once again includes Cheechoo, Vlasic and likely two prospects. Doug Wilson has played hardball throughout this process and refuses to budge from his stance. If he can find someone else to take Cheechoo that could change.
The Rangers focus remains getting Dubinsky signed to a deal and then seeing if a trade is possible. Murray likes Dubinsky but only if his contract is reasonable. The Rangers have been involved in the process from the get go but their July 1 signing of Marian Gaborik has made them a little less desperate.
The Wild continue to bounce around the rumour mill but they have yet to make an official offer for Heatley. That said, the belief is they may be preparing to make a pitch sometime in the next 24-48 hours.
Like Minnesota,Vancouver is also contemplating a last minute pitch for Heatley but have yet to table an official offer. They have some very attractive pieces to offer but don't expect them to part ways with Cody Hodgson.
The last couple weeks have seen a bunch of teams apparently join the fray in the Heatley sweepstakes. As I'm sure you've all noticed I have been a little more liberal with the rumours the last week or so. While most of these teams and offers are just rumours I thought you would appreciate knowing some of the talk out there as the Friday deadline approaches.
As always, updates coming as they arrive.
If any interested GM's are reading this (Doug Wilson, I know you're out there) you better step up your offers now!
With just one day to go till the apparent deadline set by Bryan Murray there seems to be an odd calm this morning. I should probably mention that while Murray has apparently set a deadline that doesn't mean things cant happen after.
The deadline was more so put in place by Murray so he can focus on other things after the end of this week. If a deal isn't completed or in place by tomorrow then Murray will proceed with off season activities assuming Dany Heatley and his $7.5 mil salary will be in Ottawa.
As we stand now there are still a handful of teams that are showing interest in Heatley but to this point no one has met the asking price, with the exception of Edmonton and Buffalo of course. Those two teams have tabled offers deemed acceptable by Murray but unacceptable by the Heatley camp.
The Sharks remain in the hunt but have apparently tabled their final offer. Its an offer that once again includes Cheechoo, Vlasic and likely two prospects. Doug Wilson has played hardball throughout this process and refuses to budge from his stance. If he can find someone else to take Cheechoo that could change.
The Rangers focus remains getting Dubinsky signed to a deal and then seeing if a trade is possible. Murray likes Dubinsky but only if his contract is reasonable. The Rangers have been involved in the process from the get go but their July 1 signing of Marian Gaborik has made them a little less desperate.
The Wild continue to bounce around the rumour mill but they have yet to make an official offer for Heatley. That said, the belief is they may be preparing to make a pitch sometime in the next 24-48 hours.
Like Minnesota,Vancouver is also contemplating a last minute pitch for Heatley but have yet to table an official offer. They have some very attractive pieces to offer but don't expect them to part ways with Cody Hodgson.
The last couple weeks have seen a bunch of teams apparently join the fray in the Heatley sweepstakes. As I'm sure you've all noticed I have been a little more liberal with the rumours the last week or so. While most of these teams and offers are just rumours I thought you would appreciate knowing some of the talk out there as the Friday deadline approaches.
As always, updates coming as they arrive.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Deadline Looms
(UPDATE 6:26 PM)- Dismissed by yours truly early last week I'm now hearing that the Vancouver Canucks may be gearing up for a pitch for Dany Heatley. As recently as last week I was told they were not going to be a factor but apparently that has changed.
Got an email earlier today that indicated the Canucks may be preparing an offer in the next couple of days. Sorry to drag you into this Canuck Fans!
(UPDATE 4:58 PM)- A quick note on the Flyer rumours. While they may have been interested early on in the process there has been nothing offered from them as of late. There were rumours early on involving Briere but nothing new in the last little while. Could that change in the next couple of days? Sure.
With only two days to go till the supposed deadline its looking more and more unlikely that something will get done on the Heatley front.
The Ranges appeared to be making a push late yesterday but talks hit a snag when they were unable to get Dubinsky to sign a deal under 2 mil. Murray has shown an interest in Dubinsky all along but would like to see him signed to a reasonable deal before hand. The Rangers would need to move a big contract out first. Wade Redden is an obvious choice.
Things seems to have gone quiet on the San Jose front as their GM Doug Wilson really seems to have his heels dug in. They continue to look for ways to shed some cap space and until they can do that, Jonathan Cheechoo remains a centre piece in their offer.
There were whispers late yesterday that the Minnesota Wild may be preparing an offer and it could potentially include stud defenceman Brent Burns. Other names being thrown around on the Wild include Miettinen, Schultz and Cuma. Just speculation at this point though.
The Buffalo offer mentioned on here yesterday appears to be the best deal out there right now. Unfortunately the reality is that Dany Heatley would never accept a trade to Buffalo. If Heatley wont go to Edmonton then he sure as heck wouldn't approve a move to Buffalo. Speaking of Edmonton there are still whispers they may be involved in all this but only because they have tabled on of two offers Murray actually liked, the other being the Sabres offer.
For the first time in all of this there seems to be indications that the Dany Heatley camp could be preparing for a return to Ottawa this fall. With their options clearly limited at this point Dany and his agents are hoping that one of the rumoured teams comes up with a last minute deal that works for Bryan Murray
If the Heatley situation is still unsettled come August 24 when Team Canada holds its orientation camp we can expect one heck of a media circus.
Got an email earlier today that indicated the Canucks may be preparing an offer in the next couple of days. Sorry to drag you into this Canuck Fans!
(UPDATE 4:58 PM)- A quick note on the Flyer rumours. While they may have been interested early on in the process there has been nothing offered from them as of late. There were rumours early on involving Briere but nothing new in the last little while. Could that change in the next couple of days? Sure.
With only two days to go till the supposed deadline its looking more and more unlikely that something will get done on the Heatley front.
The Ranges appeared to be making a push late yesterday but talks hit a snag when they were unable to get Dubinsky to sign a deal under 2 mil. Murray has shown an interest in Dubinsky all along but would like to see him signed to a reasonable deal before hand. The Rangers would need to move a big contract out first. Wade Redden is an obvious choice.
Things seems to have gone quiet on the San Jose front as their GM Doug Wilson really seems to have his heels dug in. They continue to look for ways to shed some cap space and until they can do that, Jonathan Cheechoo remains a centre piece in their offer.
There were whispers late yesterday that the Minnesota Wild may be preparing an offer and it could potentially include stud defenceman Brent Burns. Other names being thrown around on the Wild include Miettinen, Schultz and Cuma. Just speculation at this point though.
The Buffalo offer mentioned on here yesterday appears to be the best deal out there right now. Unfortunately the reality is that Dany Heatley would never accept a trade to Buffalo. If Heatley wont go to Edmonton then he sure as heck wouldn't approve a move to Buffalo. Speaking of Edmonton there are still whispers they may be involved in all this but only because they have tabled on of two offers Murray actually liked, the other being the Sabres offer.
For the first time in all of this there seems to be indications that the Dany Heatley camp could be preparing for a return to Ottawa this fall. With their options clearly limited at this point Dany and his agents are hoping that one of the rumoured teams comes up with a last minute deal that works for Bryan Murray
If the Heatley situation is still unsettled come August 24 when Team Canada holds its orientation camp we can expect one heck of a media circus.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Your Tuesday Update
(UPDATE 5:00 PM)- If the New York Rangers are going to land Dany Heatley they will first need to sign Brandon Dubinsky. Murray would like to have the young forward included in a deal but not if his contract is over $2 mil a season.
The Senators are also looking to include a salary dump or two in the deal if possible (Smith and Schubert).
(UPDATE 2:46 PM)- Looks like Jason Spezza will be getting an invite to the Olympic Orientation camp after all. Well deserved if you ask me.
(UPDATE 1:58 PM)- For those of you who aren't following on Twitter it sounds as though the Rangers are suddenly back in the running for Heatley and Brandon Dubinsky is in play.
New York would need to sign the young forward first but it sounds as though the Blue Shirts are jumping back into this.
So here is the latest from the rumour mill...
The San Jose Sharks have recently tabled an offer that the Senators camp has yet to respond to. Its believed that deal includes Cheechoo, Vlasic, Joslin, McGinn and a draft pick of some kind. While this isn't a horrible offer by any means it remains to be seen if Murray would accept an offer that includes Cheechoo.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers continue to wait patiently on the sidelines. If the talks fall apart with San Jose, the belief is the Oilers may be willing to re-table their offer and jump back into the fray. If Dany is faced with Ottawa and Edmonton as his only options he may be inclined to accept a move to Edmonton.
It sounds like the Buffalo Sabres may have tabled the best offer throughout all of this but its highly unlikely Dany would accept a move to Buffalo. It certainly would do wonders for the Senators/Sabres rivalry that's for sure. But like many of you have pointed out Buffalo is sort of the Edmonton of the Eastern Conference and not exactly an attractive place to play.
Their offer apparently included Derek Roy, Dan Paille and Tyler Myers. That is just a rumour at this point but that sounds like a heck of an offer to me.
Speaking of Buffalo, the Senators continue to toy with the idea of adding former Sabres Maxim Afinogenov. Its believed hes seeking a deal in the neighbourhood of $3.0-3.5 mil a season. Mike Comrie is also drawing interest and is expected to be somewhere in the $2.0-2.5 range.
Comrie comes a little cheaper and would love to return to Ottawa if the Senators can find a way to fit him in.
More coming later today...
The Senators are also looking to include a salary dump or two in the deal if possible (Smith and Schubert).
(UPDATE 2:46 PM)- Looks like Jason Spezza will be getting an invite to the Olympic Orientation camp after all. Well deserved if you ask me.
(UPDATE 1:58 PM)- For those of you who aren't following on Twitter it sounds as though the Rangers are suddenly back in the running for Heatley and Brandon Dubinsky is in play.
New York would need to sign the young forward first but it sounds as though the Blue Shirts are jumping back into this.
So here is the latest from the rumour mill...
The San Jose Sharks have recently tabled an offer that the Senators camp has yet to respond to. Its believed that deal includes Cheechoo, Vlasic, Joslin, McGinn and a draft pick of some kind. While this isn't a horrible offer by any means it remains to be seen if Murray would accept an offer that includes Cheechoo.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers continue to wait patiently on the sidelines. If the talks fall apart with San Jose, the belief is the Oilers may be willing to re-table their offer and jump back into the fray. If Dany is faced with Ottawa and Edmonton as his only options he may be inclined to accept a move to Edmonton.
It sounds like the Buffalo Sabres may have tabled the best offer throughout all of this but its highly unlikely Dany would accept a move to Buffalo. It certainly would do wonders for the Senators/Sabres rivalry that's for sure. But like many of you have pointed out Buffalo is sort of the Edmonton of the Eastern Conference and not exactly an attractive place to play.
Their offer apparently included Derek Roy, Dan Paille and Tyler Myers. That is just a rumour at this point but that sounds like a heck of an offer to me.
Speaking of Buffalo, the Senators continue to toy with the idea of adding former Sabres Maxim Afinogenov. Its believed hes seeking a deal in the neighbourhood of $3.0-3.5 mil a season. Mike Comrie is also drawing interest and is expected to be somewhere in the $2.0-2.5 range.
Comrie comes a little cheaper and would love to return to Ottawa if the Senators can find a way to fit him in.
More coming later today...
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Waiting Game
(UPDATE 12:51 AM)- Just a quick late night update on what was a pretty quiet day on all fronts. Word is there is another Sharks offer on the table and it again includes Jonathan Cheechoo. Only a few days to go till the apparent deadline and Wilson continues to include Cheechoo in his offer.
Wilson has apparently sweetened the pot a little bit with an extra prospect but his reluctance to offer up any top 6 other than Cheechoo could really hurt him in this process.
Here's hoping for a busier day tomorrow.
With a couple different sources now confirming that Bryan Murray has set an August 14th deadline for any deal involving Dany Heatley, we are now left with a little over four days for teams to get their offers in.
As of this morning I'm told that the Heatley camp has not replied to the Senators last contact. At some point last week the Senators told Dany that his options were limited to a return to Ottawa or a accepting a trade with an unnamed team not on his list of preferred destinations.
The more I ask around the more I get the indication that team may have been the Buffalo Sabres.
Meanwhile, the Heatley camp continues to sit back and wait on the San Jose Sharks to find a way to get him the deal he wants. A rumour today indicates that the Sharks may be close to a deal with the Islanders that would give San Jose the cap space they need to deal for Dany. By all accounts the Edmonton Oilers continue to wait in the weeds and see how this all unfolds.
So it sounds like if something does get done with San Jose there will be a deal that goes down before hand that would let us know something is up. No timeline on when that deal would go down but with this supposed Friday deadline looming there really isn't a whole lot of time.
As always, updates will be posted as I get them.
Wilson has apparently sweetened the pot a little bit with an extra prospect but his reluctance to offer up any top 6 other than Cheechoo could really hurt him in this process.
Here's hoping for a busier day tomorrow.
With a couple different sources now confirming that Bryan Murray has set an August 14th deadline for any deal involving Dany Heatley, we are now left with a little over four days for teams to get their offers in.
As of this morning I'm told that the Heatley camp has not replied to the Senators last contact. At some point last week the Senators told Dany that his options were limited to a return to Ottawa or a accepting a trade with an unnamed team not on his list of preferred destinations.
The more I ask around the more I get the indication that team may have been the Buffalo Sabres.
Meanwhile, the Heatley camp continues to sit back and wait on the San Jose Sharks to find a way to get him the deal he wants. A rumour today indicates that the Sharks may be close to a deal with the Islanders that would give San Jose the cap space they need to deal for Dany. By all accounts the Edmonton Oilers continue to wait in the weeds and see how this all unfolds.
So it sounds like if something does get done with San Jose there will be a deal that goes down before hand that would let us know something is up. No timeline on when that deal would go down but with this supposed Friday deadline looming there really isn't a whole lot of time.
As always, updates will be posted as I get them.
A New Uniform Design?
Some pretty exciting news to start off your Monday morning and it has nothing to do with Dany Heatley. Rumours are swirling that the Ottawa Senators may be seriously considering another change in uniforms.
I'm sure we all remember the jersey seen above. Prior to the Senators releasing their current "SENS" jersey there were rumours that the design seen above may be one the Senators were considering. Now comes the news that the Senators are opening a new store at Scotiabank Place called "The O Store".
Have a look at the artists rendering of the store and more importantly look whats hanging up! Could it be? Are the Senators preparing to make the switch to the O?
Here's the link to Gord Wilson's interview with Cyril Leeder about some other changes at Scotiabank Place.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Weekend Summary
After a pretty hectic week things really seemed to slow down over the weekend. I was actually away from the computer the whole weekend but had my Blackberry with me and was able to stay in touch.
Didn't seem to be a whole lot new out there on Saturday or Sunday but here's the situation as far as I can gather. It seems as though Bryan Murray has let interested parties know that there is an August 14th deadline to make an offer for Dany Heatley.
The Sharks are absolutely still interested but as we all know will have to find a way to clear cap space first. It was suggested to me over the weekend that the Sharks could potentially look at dealing Captain Patrick Marleau as a way to clear cap space if they cant find a taker for Cheechoo.
While I could get no confirmation on the mystery team, the Sabres are apparently a definite possibility. Other teams I've heard mentioned include the Panthers, Blues and Lightning. All just rumours at this point though.
Another interesting tid bit came in over the weekend regarding free agent forward Maxim Afinogenov. The Senators would apparently like to add another top 6 forward (depending on the Heatley return) and have not completely ruled out the former Sabre as an option. Comrie is still drawing interest from Ottawa but may be signing elsewhere shortly.
Certainly enjoyed a weekend away from all this but I expect things to pick up starting tomorrow. As always, I'll post updates as I get them.
Didn't seem to be a whole lot new out there on Saturday or Sunday but here's the situation as far as I can gather. It seems as though Bryan Murray has let interested parties know that there is an August 14th deadline to make an offer for Dany Heatley.
The Sharks are absolutely still interested but as we all know will have to find a way to clear cap space first. It was suggested to me over the weekend that the Sharks could potentially look at dealing Captain Patrick Marleau as a way to clear cap space if they cant find a taker for Cheechoo.
While I could get no confirmation on the mystery team, the Sabres are apparently a definite possibility. Other teams I've heard mentioned include the Panthers, Blues and Lightning. All just rumours at this point though.
Another interesting tid bit came in over the weekend regarding free agent forward Maxim Afinogenov. The Senators would apparently like to add another top 6 forward (depending on the Heatley return) and have not completely ruled out the former Sabre as an option. Comrie is still drawing interest from Ottawa but may be signing elsewhere shortly.
Certainly enjoyed a weekend away from all this but I expect things to pick up starting tomorrow. As always, I'll post updates as I get them.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Here We Go Again...
(UPDATE 10:07PM)- Not much went on today as you can tell. Word is the Sharks may have tabled another offer for Dany so its pretty clear they arent ready to give up just yet.
On top of that comes this report from the Ottawa Sun. Looks as though Dany wont be making it to the Canadian Hockey Summit in Toronto on August 18th.
The deadline for a deal has apparently been set at August 14th. Looks like another week of this still to go. Enjoy the weekend everyone
(UPDATE- 1:10 PM)- Nothing much new to report so far today. Apparently the Sharks are working on putting together a new offer for Heatley and looking for a way to move Cheechoo. Unless they can dump a salary or two they are in tough.
Talk continues about a potential deadline being set for any deal. Murray never intended for this to last all the way to camp so he is apparently letting teams know they need to get something done before next Friday.
In other news everyone I've talked to the last couple of days has indicated that Jason Smith will be starting the season on the long term IR. Nothing confirmed on the Senators end.
Good Morning everyone. All rested up after a hectic day yesterday and expecting more of the same today. Before we get into the Heatley stuff I forgot to mention a Bingo signing yesterday.
The Senators signed veteran defenceman Drew Bannister to a one year/two way deal. The 35 year old defenceman has been playing in Europe the last few years and is expected to give the Binghamton Senators a veteran presence on the blueline next season.
On to Dany...
A day that started with a focus on San Jose seemed to shift into overdrive as the day went on, especially with the speculation of an unnamed team tabling an offer for Heatley. The day also apparently saw the withdrawal of teams like the Rangers and Stars from the running as the pretenders and contenders continue to identify themselves.
The word early this morning is that the Sharks are very much still in the running. Up until now Wilson has a little gun shy but there is plenty of pressure on his end to get this thing done. Its pretty simple though; if he refuses to include a top 6 besides Cheechoo, Dany will not be going to California. Ottawa and San Jose have not been in contact since early yesterday.
The Oilers continue to wait in the weeds to see how things play out with the Sharks. They've gone pubic and said they're moving on but if there is still a chance to acquire Heatley, Tambellini will not hesitate to get back in the mix.
Heatley has apparently been contacted and told that at this point his options are limited to a return to the Senators and an offer from another team not on his list. There are rumours that Murray may be setting a deadline for all this but nothing official on that just yet.
As far as the mystery team goes I'm still having trouble nailing it down. What I know so far is that the team is NOT on Heatley's list and is more than likely an Eastern Conference team. It was mentioned to me yesterday that it could either be the Buffalo Sabres or the Florida Panthers but nothing concrete as of yet.
Updates coming as I get them....
On top of that comes this report from the Ottawa Sun. Looks as though Dany wont be making it to the Canadian Hockey Summit in Toronto on August 18th.
The deadline for a deal has apparently been set at August 14th. Looks like another week of this still to go. Enjoy the weekend everyone
(UPDATE- 1:10 PM)- Nothing much new to report so far today. Apparently the Sharks are working on putting together a new offer for Heatley and looking for a way to move Cheechoo. Unless they can dump a salary or two they are in tough.
Talk continues about a potential deadline being set for any deal. Murray never intended for this to last all the way to camp so he is apparently letting teams know they need to get something done before next Friday.
In other news everyone I've talked to the last couple of days has indicated that Jason Smith will be starting the season on the long term IR. Nothing confirmed on the Senators end.
Good Morning everyone. All rested up after a hectic day yesterday and expecting more of the same today. Before we get into the Heatley stuff I forgot to mention a Bingo signing yesterday.
The Senators signed veteran defenceman Drew Bannister to a one year/two way deal. The 35 year old defenceman has been playing in Europe the last few years and is expected to give the Binghamton Senators a veteran presence on the blueline next season.
On to Dany...
A day that started with a focus on San Jose seemed to shift into overdrive as the day went on, especially with the speculation of an unnamed team tabling an offer for Heatley. The day also apparently saw the withdrawal of teams like the Rangers and Stars from the running as the pretenders and contenders continue to identify themselves.
The word early this morning is that the Sharks are very much still in the running. Up until now Wilson has a little gun shy but there is plenty of pressure on his end to get this thing done. Its pretty simple though; if he refuses to include a top 6 besides Cheechoo, Dany will not be going to California. Ottawa and San Jose have not been in contact since early yesterday.
The Oilers continue to wait in the weeds to see how things play out with the Sharks. They've gone pubic and said they're moving on but if there is still a chance to acquire Heatley, Tambellini will not hesitate to get back in the mix.
Heatley has apparently been contacted and told that at this point his options are limited to a return to the Senators and an offer from another team not on his list. There are rumours that Murray may be setting a deadline for all this but nothing official on that just yet.
As far as the mystery team goes I'm still having trouble nailing it down. What I know so far is that the team is NOT on Heatley's list and is more than likely an Eastern Conference team. It was mentioned to me yesterday that it could either be the Buffalo Sabres or the Florida Panthers but nothing concrete as of yet.
Updates coming as I get them....
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The Dany Heatley Saga
(UPDATE 11:54 PM)- One last update for the day. Still continuing to dig for details on the unnamed teams but we can apparently cross a couple teams off the list late tonight. The New York Rangers continue to be steadfast in their refusal to include Dubinsky so they are apparently out of the running.
The Dallas Stars were very much interested in Heatley but have apparently just recently given up in their pursuit. Dallas is apparently not on Dany's list and their offer was quite underwhelming from what I was told.
I would think we can expect more of the same tomorrow as rumours continue to swirl around the Ottawa Senators and Dany Heatley. I'm doing my best to sort through all this and let you know the rumours out there.
Here's hoping we have something official to report soon.
(UPDATE 5:35 PM)- Theres been a flood of comments and suggestions since adding the prospect of a third team to the mix. I've been doing some asking around and while the Canucks may have shown interest in the past they are not the team that tabled the offer Murray likes. I'll keep digging. From what I gather its not a team on Dany's infamous 'List'.
Hope you're paying attention San Jose. Time to pony up if you want Dany skating beside Jumbo Joe this Fall.
(UPDATE 3:08 PM)- Here is the latest from the Heatley rumour mill. Word is the Senators have contacted Heatley to let him know that his options are very limited.
As of now the Sharks have not met the asking price but can not be ruled out all together. There is no official deal from the Oilers right now either so the word is Heatley's options are limited to a return to Ottawa or a move to an unnamed team.
Thats right, theres apparently a team that hasn't been mentioned thus far that has apparently tabled an offer that the Senators are quite fond of.
And so the plot thickens...
(UPDATE 12:22 PM)- Something thats important to remember on the San Jose front is the pending retirement of Jeremy Roenick. With a press conference scheduled for later today, the Sharks do not want to upstage Roenick. This could partially explain the cooling off we have seen today.
(UPDATE 12:08 PM)- Not sure what to make of it but it seems as though the Oilers may be creeping their way back in to the picture. If for some reason the Sharks pull out all together (They haven't so far) and Dany gets word that its Edmonton or Ottawa, perhaps Dany rethinks his stance on a move to Edmonton.
I would like to personally apologize to any Oilers fans who are reading this and seeing they may be getting dragged back into this mess.
(UPDATE 11:02 AM)- All sources agree at this point that the deal with the Sharks has hit a snag. The offer apparently presented by Murray late last night has been pulled and all offers come from San Jose continue to be of the low ball nature. If the Sharks want him, they will have to step up their offer.
Woke up this morning to a whole whack of emails and messages from just about every source I have been in contact with over the last 6 months.
The message at this point can be best described as mixed. Word is either late last night or early this morning Bryan Murray pulled his latest offer off the table. What does all this mean? Its really hard to say at this point.
Some are taking it as an indication that Dany Heatley will be back in a Senators uniform when training camp roles around next month. While I'm not convinced we've hit that point just yet it definitely is a strange twist in the negotiations with the Sharks.
Sounds like as of now the Sharks can't make the cap space required to fit Dany in and without a third team currently involved things have hit a snag.
We'll see how things progress through out the day but the last indication was that the offer between Ottawa and San Jose had been taken off the table.
I'll post updates as I receive them...
The Dallas Stars were very much interested in Heatley but have apparently just recently given up in their pursuit. Dallas is apparently not on Dany's list and their offer was quite underwhelming from what I was told.
I would think we can expect more of the same tomorrow as rumours continue to swirl around the Ottawa Senators and Dany Heatley. I'm doing my best to sort through all this and let you know the rumours out there.
Here's hoping we have something official to report soon.
(UPDATE 5:35 PM)- Theres been a flood of comments and suggestions since adding the prospect of a third team to the mix. I've been doing some asking around and while the Canucks may have shown interest in the past they are not the team that tabled the offer Murray likes. I'll keep digging. From what I gather its not a team on Dany's infamous 'List'.
Hope you're paying attention San Jose. Time to pony up if you want Dany skating beside Jumbo Joe this Fall.
(UPDATE 3:08 PM)- Here is the latest from the Heatley rumour mill. Word is the Senators have contacted Heatley to let him know that his options are very limited.
As of now the Sharks have not met the asking price but can not be ruled out all together. There is no official deal from the Oilers right now either so the word is Heatley's options are limited to a return to Ottawa or a move to an unnamed team.
Thats right, theres apparently a team that hasn't been mentioned thus far that has apparently tabled an offer that the Senators are quite fond of.
And so the plot thickens...
(UPDATE 12:22 PM)- Something thats important to remember on the San Jose front is the pending retirement of Jeremy Roenick. With a press conference scheduled for later today, the Sharks do not want to upstage Roenick. This could partially explain the cooling off we have seen today.
(UPDATE 12:08 PM)- Not sure what to make of it but it seems as though the Oilers may be creeping their way back in to the picture. If for some reason the Sharks pull out all together (They haven't so far) and Dany gets word that its Edmonton or Ottawa, perhaps Dany rethinks his stance on a move to Edmonton.
I would like to personally apologize to any Oilers fans who are reading this and seeing they may be getting dragged back into this mess.
(UPDATE 11:02 AM)- All sources agree at this point that the deal with the Sharks has hit a snag. The offer apparently presented by Murray late last night has been pulled and all offers come from San Jose continue to be of the low ball nature. If the Sharks want him, they will have to step up their offer.
Woke up this morning to a whole whack of emails and messages from just about every source I have been in contact with over the last 6 months.
The message at this point can be best described as mixed. Word is either late last night or early this morning Bryan Murray pulled his latest offer off the table. What does all this mean? Its really hard to say at this point.
Some are taking it as an indication that Dany Heatley will be back in a Senators uniform when training camp roles around next month. While I'm not convinced we've hit that point just yet it definitely is a strange twist in the negotiations with the Sharks.
Sounds like as of now the Sharks can't make the cap space required to fit Dany in and without a third team currently involved things have hit a snag.
We'll see how things progress through out the day but the last indication was that the offer between Ottawa and San Jose had been taken off the table.
I'll post updates as I receive them...
Late Night Rumours
Certainly was a crazy day for rumours. The San Jose firestorm started early in the day and didn't let up until just about an hour ago. That's not to say a deal wont get done but it looks as though things have settled down for the evening.
Last I heard the deal presented by the Sharks this morning had been rejected. There were rumours of a counter proposal as apparently the offer presented this morning included Cheechoo. Murray is doing his best right now to find a deal that does not include the one time 50 goal scorer.
Word is Murray has presented some form of counter offer but no specifics on the names involved in that counter proposal. Murray likes Michalek but the Sharks are hesitant to include him at this point. The name of Setoguchi was thrown around a little bit today but nothing confirmed.
With the focus seemingly shifted to the Sharks almost entirely there was some talk towards the end of the day about the Rangers putting together another offer but again, nothing confirmed on that front.
Its been a day of wild speculation but I really get the sense that this time, where theres smoke there is indeed fire. The new Blackberry got a workout today thats for sure.
Expecting more of the same tomorrow.
Last I heard the deal presented by the Sharks this morning had been rejected. There were rumours of a counter proposal as apparently the offer presented this morning included Cheechoo. Murray is doing his best right now to find a deal that does not include the one time 50 goal scorer.
Word is Murray has presented some form of counter offer but no specifics on the names involved in that counter proposal. Murray likes Michalek but the Sharks are hesitant to include him at this point. The name of Setoguchi was thrown around a little bit today but nothing confirmed.
With the focus seemingly shifted to the Sharks almost entirely there was some talk towards the end of the day about the Rangers putting together another offer but again, nothing confirmed on that front.
Its been a day of wild speculation but I really get the sense that this time, where theres smoke there is indeed fire. The new Blackberry got a workout today thats for sure.
Expecting more of the same tomorrow.
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