Wild Days

I've been absent for a few days while the free agency period has begun with owners overpaying for players (read: Brad Richards' 9 year, $60 million deal with the Rangers and James Wisniewski's 6 year, $33 million deal with Columbus) and fans of their teams scratching their heads at some of the signings (see: Jaromir Jagr signing with Philadelphia).  In an attempt to keep everything rational, I have not put thoughts to the blog and other than the small update on favorite players leaving the Canucks (both Tanner Glass and Rick Rypien signed with Winnipeg over the weekend, which actually increases my like for the new Winnipeg team), have said nothing about the signings.  Today, that changes, though today's thought subject is actually a trade.

This morning, the San Jose Sharks made a trade with (wait for it) the Minnesota Wild, where Dany Heatley and Martin Havlat switched places.  What does this mean?  Well, the Wild get a player who can score goals and is looking to redeem himself after a so-so last season.  The Wild get a second-tier star who was actually an All-Star last season and can set up goals for the likes of Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton.  That is not the reason why I am writing this piece, though.  No, it's about Heatley, and the potential that has still yet to be realized.  Sure, you know about his playoff failures in recent years, but it goes beyond that.  It began with his first three seasons in Atlanta, where his potential was first realized in his rookie year, where he edged out then-teammate Ilya Kovalchuk for the Calder Trophy.  The following year, he was the MVP of the All-Star Game and looked well on his way to superstardom.  Then, one fateful night in late September, the car he was driving was involved in an accident that killed teammate Dan Snyder.  Heatley would miss half of the season while recovering from injuries in that accident.

Prior to the 2005-06 season, Heatley was traded to Ottawa in a deal that saw Marian Hossa go to Atlanta.  His goal totals in Ottawa were 50, 50, 41, and 39 in his time there.  The last season, however, saw him clash with coach Cory Clouston over playing time.  While asking for a trade, he nixed a trade in the offseason that would have sent him to Edmonton.  He would eventually be traded to San Jose prior to the 2009-10 season. In his two seasons with San Jose, he amassed 39 and 26 goals.  In San Jose, the numbers don't tell the whole story, as he was demoted to the second line in favor of Devin Setoguchi, who ironically, was traded to Minnesota a week earlier.  Questions about his skating also came to surface last season, as he was eventually demoted to third line duties in the playoffs.

Going to Minnesota, he won't have the likes of Joe Thornton on the same line, but he should definitely be motivated because Minnesota is as hockey mad as the people in San Jose and Ottawa, and clearly, this trade was performance related, and despite having a few more points than the guy he was traded for, the Sharks wanted better skating, which to them, necessitated his trade.  Heatley has a chance to be the face of the Minnesota Wild, and I would love to be able to see that happen, but he has to help himself, not just on the ice, but also off of it.