Dany Heatley’s ‘09 summer checklist:
- Get out of Ottawa
- Lay low all summer
- Exercise No-Trade-Clause
- Get out of Ottawa
- Mow the lawn
Although Heatley’s lawn is grows to unbelievable proportions, he is going, going back, back to Cali. Heatley may not have been there before, but he’s there now, and you get the point. Specifically, San Jose.
In this trade, Heatley got everything he wanted. The main thing was getting out of Ottawa. He is now in a pretty good hockey market, but not a crazed hockey market (like in Canada) where the fans will allow him to perform and be a citizen of San Jose who plays professional hockey.
He also inherits the most prolific passer in this generation in Joe Thornton. Thornton has the most points in the NHL since the lockout – 424 – of those points, 316 of them are assists. Thornton, Heatley and Patrick Marleau were put on a line together by Team Canada and Detroit Red Wings Head Coach, Mike Babcock at the Olympic Orientation camp, and the three joked about how it would be a pretty nice line for the Sharks. However, Sharks’ Head coach Todd McLellan revealed this week that although a super line is possible, Devin Setoguchi will play right wing with Thornton and Heatley.
In San Jose, Heatley goes someplace where he knows somebody who can plug him into the social pipeline. In short, he knows a lot of key Sharks’ players. He has played with Thornton, Marleau and Rob Blake with Team Canada. He has played with Dan Boyle in the past and played with Joe Pavelski at the University of Wisconsin. Most importantly, Heatley played under McLellan for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships in 2000.
Heatley has proven that he can score. He has gone to the Stanley Cup finals. And he has a great singing voice. Now he has to prove that he can stick with one team and not be a distraction in the locker room. He does not have to be a leader with the Sharks, but simply a guy who can follow the rules and perform on the ice like he has done his whole career. In Atlanta, he was productive, but one incident led him to asking for a trade out. In Ottawa, for a few cloudy reasons, wanted out. This past summer, his character took a hit, but in San Jose he has the opportunity prove that he is a reliable team mate because as Eric DuhatschekHockey is not baseball, but once principle is the same – three strikes and you’re out.“ says, “
With all that being said, I fealessly forecast 52 goals, 39 assists for 91 points for a healthy season from Dany Heatley this season. (THN predicts – 44/38/82 – pre-trade)
50MC’s Fearless Fantasy Forecasts:
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