Monday Musings

So first, there's the obvious emotion of the draft fallout and still having Heatley on the team. Even if you were sure without a shadow of a doubt that the offers weren't there, we're all still a tad upset that this will drag on and potentially hamper our abilities to plug holes on July 1st.

Here are some other thoughts:

1. Pardon me for thinking that Philly really didn't overpay too much for Pronger. Look at what they gave up in detail:
- Luca Sbisa, a big defenceman with top four potential. I actually think this is the biggest piece based on his age, his size, and the fact that he's already playing up in the bigs.
- Joffrey Lupul, a 50-point castoff that costs over $4M and has consistency issues. Sorry if I just don't like Joffrey Lupul. He plays soft and to be completely honest, I'd rather pay that amount for Fisher and get some grit and 40-50 pts. Lupul was purely a salary dump.
- First round 2009 pick - 21st overall. Good, but far from a sure thing. The Flyers ended up trading down anyway.
- First round 2010 pick - we have to think that Philly is a top half team and that pick will also be in the mid-twenties.
Listen, I'm not suggesting the Flyers got a steal here. I'm just saying that they picked up one of the most dominant defencemen in the league for a kid, a salary dump, and some late first round picks. It's a win-win here.

2. Teams that can afford the Sedins at over $12M on Wedesday include Toronto and Montreal. One reunites them with their old buddies Burke and Nonis, the other puts them in a saviour role with a franchise desperate for one. Can they learn French? I bet Toronto gets 'em and we can further question the 'Brian Burke player' as he loads his Leafs with sissies.

3. What if BM actually does know what he's doing with Heatley's trade request? If Murray truly saw something he liked in the UFA narket, like Gionta or Cammalleri, he'd have dropped his pants Friday night to make cap room and get Heater off the books. Instead, perhaps he knows that there are more teams in need of top scorers than there actual top scorers available. We pay the $4M, let other GMs panic over the free agents, and then recoup through trades. If Minnesota misses on Hossa, the Sedins, etc., you have to think Fletcher comes back a bit more aggressive, no? We have to hope that Heatley is still plan B for more than a few teams. Plus, as I said, maybe Murray doesn't really care to dabble in the UFA market anyway.

Thoughts?