Senators Lose Leverage and Increase Demands

There’s a lot I don’t get about the Dany Heatley ransom demands.

Like why are the Oilers so hot for a player who so obviously doesn’t want to play for them? Are they only interested because they know he’ll demand a trade in another two seasons? Do they think they can change him?

And as the demand for Heatley has pretty much entirely evaporated (which is really saying something in the NHL, where there was even a market for Sean Avery after his “sloppy seconds” penance was over), Ottawa is increasing what they want back for Heatley. You just have to bow down to Ottawa GM Bryan Murray’s business sense/powers of denial. He wants more for a player no one else really wants and who everyone knows doesn’t want to play in Ottawa. Most GMs would just love to have an ungrateful Heatley’s salary off of their cap. Murray is looking to make the deal of the century. I’d love to give him a really basic ECON101 textbook, just to see his mind blown as he sees the actual rules of supply and demand.

And I’d love to see Edmonton take a stand and stop chasing players who don’t want to play for them. If you want a contract offer from the Oilers, the quickest path is to say you prefer not to play in Edmonton. And somehow, players like Jay Bouwmeester and Ryan Smyth, who actively wanted to play there, wind up someplace else.

Also, people are making a big deal about Marian Hossa’s mammoth Chicago contract and it’s really overshadowing one of their very smart, smaller moves: their signing of John Madden. Madden still has tremendous speed, even at 36, so he won’t slow the ‘Hawks down. His defensive prowess is legendary. His work ethic is unmatched. He’s the perfect players for the Blackhawks. I think he’s going to have some real influence on the team’s development.