The list of people that have heard from Heatley this summer just grew longer by one. Bob Nicholson weighed in today and said that he's spoken with Heatley this summer and he, along with the execs at Hockey Canada are expecting Heatley to handle his business before showing up in Calgary on Monday for the Team Canada Orientation Camp. So there you have it - in the next five days, Dany Heatley will allegedly have to speak to reporters. That being said, expect the Patrick Kane job of 'I can't talk about it' followed by a 'only questions about Canada Hockey from this point forward'.
In other news, Bryan Murray shared his voice with Leafs Lunch (the same Leafs Lunch that accused the Sens of being coke addicts). Catch the podcast here, Murray is in the first few minutes (after the first break) and will probably only take up 10 minutes of your time.Here are the highlights, including bold around the one piece that you probably care about the most.
- rookie camp coming up in Kitchener, expecting big things of Karlsson, Regin, and Zach Smith. Said Cowen is training in Ottawa and likely not ready for game action.
- Murray STRONGLY expects Karlsson to compete for a spot on the club, said he is tremendous and the only thing hurting him is his size. Seriously, given the tone on this, it truly sounds like Karlsson is expected by management to make the team.
- He added that they expect Lee to be a full-time defenceman and grow a lot, also named off the rest of the defenders but seemed to throw a bit more attention to Campoli and Lee and Kuba. "I think our defence is far better this year than last year".
- Kind words for Leclaire, said he's ready to go and is seen as a "considerable upgrade", though they're still very happy with Elliot.
- On cap space, he said he isn't sure where the team is (I hope he's kidding). Simply put, he says if we have Heatley, we're over the cap, if we don't have Heatley, we're fine. Not sure how that involves a trade and salary coming back, but Murray went on to say that we have some players on two-way contracts that we can send down in the short-term while he continues to look for a long-term solution. I'm not positive who is on a two-way contract, but I thought Lee was one, which kinda sucks. I still can't imagine he can solve the cap problems and keep Gator on the big team. LTIR?
- On the Heatley saga "No, we're not any closer to an end. I have continued to talk to a few teams about it lately...it has been going slow, dragging on all summer, disappointed that it has gone on so long. It will be resolved soon either through a trade in the next little bit of time, or we expect Dany at camp."- finally, Murray said fans are asking why a good player doesn't want to be in Ottawa, it has been difficult on ticket sales.
So what does it all mean? First off, the whole 'Murray has been quiet so that means something is going to happen this afternoon' idea is out. Murray has now spoken. That being said, he did admit that he is still actively talking to teams and hopes to get this resolved through a trade soon. I'm sorry to call out others on this, but it was plain as day in this interview that there was never a deadline last week for a trade to be made. From this interview, Murray clearly says he'll work on this right up until camp and if no resolution comes via trade, he'll deal with the cap issues in other ways. But nothing in mid-August for a deadline. Nothing. C'mon, people, there are no leaks in that organization right now. The only Sens trade news that is real comes straight from the mouth of the GM. Other sites are right in that if Dreger and McKenzie aren't printing it, it's because it isn't true.
Good news - Murray is still working actively with teams and his first priority is to make a trade prior to camp.
Bad news - Camp starts in three weeks.
Also, what are your thoughts on Murray's opinion that Karlsson is ready to compete for the big club? If he makes it, he'll be babysat like crazy, just seeing PP time and going against second lines that neither score nor hit. That's fine with me, work him in slow!
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8 comments:
Good blog man, Idiots like Senschirp(Yes, him!) and Eklund have been taking us for a "made up" ride on this whole Heatley thing.
Thanks for keeping it real...
And Fuck You Dany Heatley!
I only just started reading Senschirp so I have no idea what his track record is, but some people say he has reported news before the mainstream media in the past, suggesting he may have sources that are reliable.
I haven't seen any site announce a trade, just mention what they're hearing regarding on-going discussions. Maybe its true, maybe its not. But I don't think there's an easy way to prove that it isn't. For example, Murray hasn't come out and said that he isn't talking to Minnesota, San Jose, Buffalo or any of the other rumoured possible trade partners.
If you don't like it, just don't read it. I don't think its productive to slag other bloggers as liars.
As for Karlsson, PP specialist with 3rd paring minutes otherwise sounds good to me.
Give him a chance to contribute offensively and gain confidence, but limit his exposure and ice time while he's still ramping up to the NHL level.
Murray's comments does inject a new angle to the trade possibilities for Heatley. If Lee and Karlsson are genuinely expected to be on the big club, with Philchenkov and Kuba/Campoli locks, Smith is the odd man out and we don't really have space for another D (Vlassic, Smid, whoever).
Every hockey season, Shawville used to lose good young players to Pembroke and Ottawa simply because the grass looked greener. The Murrays are a very influential hockey family up there...so in order to keep everyone in the flock, they learned how to "slow walk a fella".
Sen's fans ya hafta listen closely to what Bryan says...this is the classic "Shawville" slow walk of Dan Heatley back to training camp this fall...Mr. Murray told us "such" last spring.
Ticket sales were way off...Kovy helped some...watch'em take off once Heater is confirmed...the blog does not reflect the buyers of tickets or the season ticket holders in general.
21 sunk us all by himself last year and he is working on it again this year...there is 2.6 on the table ya can't blame him...but I can!
To Anshu:
If you have just started with Chirpy and his gang, ye shall quickly learn that the mildest difference of opinion will not be tolerated and thus censored.
We are dealing with Chirpy's tremendous "Ego" or lack there of. But between you and me the whole thing is bullshit! But remember contrary to what he says this is a "Commercial Enterprise". My fear (He's even in print now) was that people were starting to believe him. (Which thankfully they don't!)
PS: I think he is scared sh*tless to take me on in a fair exchange...and it's not only me. His censorship list is growing by the day.
Nik:
So that explains it. I've noticed some of my comments filtered out on Chirpy's blog. Guess they didn't meet with his approval. :) Although some of the "Anonymous" ones he let's through slagging him are surprising.
It's easy to say you "hear" things from sources. I'd just be happy if it was general terms - talking with this team and that team. When player names are mentioned that's when it gets sketchy. GMs won't (usually) leak names for obvious reasons.
Once a team is mentioned, people can easily analyse the roster for Salary numbers, player contract terms etc and speculate on what it might be - as we have done and seen.
If Chirpy says SJ, NYR and MIN are definite teams he's hearing and a trade with one of those happens then to me credibility is established. Doesn't matter if he's "first" to break the news.
This battle of the rumour blogs is bullshit, IMHO. Especially when names emerge. People speculate based on what the teams needs are (or have been announced to be).
Murray likes this guy or that guy so maybe he's the one or these guys are the ones. Bullshit. Until a trade is confirmed (approved by both teams and the NHL and announced publically) then all these rumour sites are after is hits - and maybe some delusion of grandeur if they "call" a trade accurately and beat the mainstream media to the punch. Scoop the scoopers as it were.
I read it because it's entertaining. I can do without the name calling and other childish shit, but that's where it looks like a classic forum - a la HF Boards or Hockeybuzz trolls.
Anshu - on the defense thing, Smith as the odd man out - most teams need 7 or 8 NHL ready D men for injuries and such, so Smith could be scratched but if he's healthy, Karlsson will be sent down. Unless he really wow's the brain trust he'll only get an 8 or 9 game look (rookie status threshold?) and one of the others, Picard/Schubert are there waiting in the wings as well.
Toronto has what, 9 or 10 NHL ready D men? We'll know more about the status of the Sens D corps (who those 7 or 8 will be) after pre-season. Yes we know the top 4 for sure the next 3 or 4 are TBD.
MOP:
We just had the pleasure of "Editing out!"..."Censoring!" every entry Chirpy had on Google for Canucnik!!!
What a feeling...revenge is mine!
I had forgotten those ones where he would move me to the next day and into the comments for a different story...that Snake in the grass! His "Bumbling" followers attacking a new "Target" (ME) for his blog!
Mr. Erik Karlsson:
Dany's back...21 is reserved...Karlsson only complicates things for Lee.
Erik comes to camp...shows off his stuff and then returns to Sweden for at least 1 more year.
I don't care if he has the best "weight to power ratio" on the team and the trainer says he weighs 180 pds...take a close look he is a 5'10" 155 lbs 19 year old kid.
Here again, all the kid learns is how to lose the battles, one on one and pick up a way too healthy respect for the better forwards in the league.
Boys...this ain't Frolunda...this is the Show...they hit to hurt!
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