Maybe a top 4 d-man but it would be tough to get a young guy with how old Heatley is and his declining value and huge cap hit. Hopefully he can have a bounce back year this year to up his value and we can make a move next year when our kids have matured more and are hopefully ready to take his spot in the roster. So I would rather just keep him for this year and ship him out the next. That is unless we think he would re-sign for a much more reasonable contract.
Maybe a top 4 d-man but it would be tough to get a young guy with how old Heatley is and his declining value and huge cap hit. Hopefully he can have a bounce back year this year to up his value and we can make a move next year when our kids have matured more and are hopefully ready to take his spot in the roster. So I would rather just keep him for this year and ship him out the next. That is unless we think he would re-sign for a much more reasonable contract.
I think people are seriously underestimating how much value Heatley has to this organization...and I think his numbers WILL increase this year with a healthy Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise as linemates.
Personally, if it works out like I'm anticipating, I'd like to see GMCF re-sign Heatley to a new deal when he is up for UFA...something about 3-4 years and between $4-$5 million/AAV.
I think people are seriously underestimating how much value Heatley has to this organization...and I think his numbers WILL increase this year with a healthy Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise as linemates.
Personally, if it works out like I'm anticipating, I'd like to see GMCF re-sign Heatley to a new deal when he is up for UFA...something about 3-4 years and between $4-$5 million/AAV.
Agreed. He was one of the few reliable pieces of last year. Was pretty shocked at his 2-way abilities too. Plus, he was well liked in the locker room. He'd be a great teacher for some of the kids.
I think people are seriously underestimating how much value Heatley has to this organization...and I think his numbers WILL increase this year with a healthy Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise as linemates.
Personally, if it works out like I'm anticipating, I'd like to see GMCF re-sign Heatley to a new deal when he is up for UFA...something about 3-4 years and between $4-$5 million/AAV.
3 years @ $4m per would be ideal for me. That way he can settle on the 3rd line (if necessary) and it wouldn't be quite as much of a salary burden.
His NTC clause window may have already closed anyway.
Yeo loves him. Not saying he couldn't be had for the right deal, but I don't see it happening this year.
Besides, Heater says the wheels are feeling better now than anytime in the last 5 years after a recent minor-ish knee surgery to clean up some junk. Give him a chance to show it, and what he can do with Zach as a threat on the other side. I think that line is going to be very balanced now, and a real handful for the opposition.
His NTC clause window may have already closed anyway.
Yeo loves him. Not saying he couldn't be had for the right deal, but I don't see it happening this year.
Besides, Heater says the wheels are feeling better now than anytime in the last 5 years after a recent minor-ish knee surgery to clean up some junk. Give him a chance to show it, and what he can do with Zach as a threat on the other side. I think that line is going to be very balanced now, and a real handful for the opposition.
TBH, that's what I'm excited about. Really curious to see how that goes.
TBH, that's what I'm excited about. Really curious to see how that goes.
Well. . . one does need to remember that aging athletes have on occassion been noted to be a little too "rosy scenario" with that kind of thing. . . but, yeah, if there's a reasonable chance of "the Old Heater" and not just "an older Heater" showing up to camp, I'm up for a look-see before doing anything rash. He's not *that* old. It's a reasonable possibility.
Well. . . one does need to remember that aging athletes have on occassion been noted to be a little too "rosy scenario" with that kind of thing. . . but, yeah, if there's a reasonable chance of "the Old Heater" and not just "an older Heater" showing up to camp, I'm up for a look-see before doing anything rash. He's not *that* old. It's a reasonable possibility.
He's only 31...if healthy, he should have another 3-5 productive seasons ahead of him at least.
He's only 31...if healthy, he should have another 3-5 productive seasons ahead of him at least.
Oh, I agree. I think there'd been some head-scratching around about how he could have slowed down that much on the ice at his (not that old) age. . . now, maybe, we know; and it --maybe-- has been corrected.
Well. . . one does need to remember that aging athletes have on occassion been noted to be a little too "rosy scenario" with that kind of thing. . . but, yeah, if there's a reasonable chance of "the Old Heater" and not just "an older Heater" showing up to camp, I'm up for a look-see before doing anything rash. He's not *that* old. It's a reasonable possibility.
We're still not gonna get the Atlanta/Ottawa Heater, but he's far from old. Although, I saw a couple Nucks' fans saying that Richards and Gabby are aging fast and past their primes, so......................
We're still not gonna get the Atlanta/Ottawa Heater, but he's far from old. Although, I saw a couple Nucks' fans saying that Richards and Gabby are aging fast and past their primes, so......................
I think some of these guys. . . they get drafted at 18 and everyone is carping on them to bulk up, bulk up, bulk up . . . and eventually they get not too fat, but still too heavy and immobile. When I look at Heater, I think he could stand to lose 10 lbs, even if it is muscle. But, still hopeful and cautiously optimistic about significant improvement from getting the knee cleaned up!
We're still not gonna get the Atlanta/Ottawa Heater, but he's far from old. Although, I saw a couple Nucks' fans saying that Richards and Gabby are aging fast and past their primes, so......................
Then what are the Sedin's? They're in between Gabs and Richards in age if I remember right.....
Parise helps big-time, but this team is still a bit short on pure goal scoring talent. Heater and Gooch are the only other guys who fit the profile of goal-scoring wing.
Hopefully Zucker will join the ranks one day, or Coyle if he stays at wing, but it is still a pretty thin slice, organizationally speaking.
With Big Bear gone, we need all the scorers we can get.
