The Ottawa Senators–Trading Heatley Priority One!

Believe it or not the Ottawa Senators are an extremely talented and competitive team in the NHL’s eastern conference.  The Senators have been one of the top teams in the NHL in the last decade and the reason why they missed out on this years playoffs was for one reason, team morale.  Ottawa is mired in problems, from the fallout of the Ray Emory situation last year to the trade demands placed on the team by ultra talented headcase Dany Heatley.

It is very clear that forward Dany Heately does not want to play for Senators head coach Cory Clouston.  Just prior to the NHL draft last month, Heatley requested a trade out of Ottawa through his agents, J.P. Barry and Stacey McAlpine, citing his dissatisfaction over his diminished playing time and role with the club since  Clouston took over as coach in February.  Ottawa is trying to accommodate the trade request although when one potential trade had been set up with the Edmonton Oilers, Heatley used his no trade clause to block the deal.  Talk about sending mixed messages, the guy wants to be traded and then sabotages the deal, makes no sense.  I think Heatley has been hit so many times on the ice that he may not even know his own name anymore.  Both sides in this messy, nasty dispute, which is only going to get more bitter, believe they have some leverage.  Maybe the only thing they could agree on at this point is that Heatley playing in Ottawa this season appears to be an untenable situation.  The Senators’ fans have branded Heatley public enemy No. 1.  It would be very difficult for Heatley to go back into the Sens’ dressing room and line up alongside his teammates after having demanded a trade.

Ottawa’s offense is lead by all star forwards Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and young wipper snapper Nick Foligno.    One of the Senators gaping holes is their lack of offensive skill on the blue line.  They need to revamp their defense by getting quicker and finding a good puck-mover (or two) to jump-start their attack.  The problem is that there aren’t really any of those type players available in free agency.  They drafted hulking defenceman Jared Cowen of the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs with the ninth overall pick in the draft.  Cowen, who stands six foot five and weighs 220 pounds, fills a desperate need for size on the blue-line and reminds some former Senator and current Bruins defensman Zdeno Chara.  Cowen is a stay-at-home defenseman.  The question is whether he will play the point on the power play and rack up goals at the next level or if he will just be a physical presence.  If the Senators want to find some decent defensmen they’re going to have to try to get something in a potential trade involving Heatley, otherwise next year could have the players playing golf early again because they missed the playoffs.