Heatley won't dictate deal: Murray
Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray was on NHL Live today, discussing a number of things the Ottawa Senators have been dealing with this off-season. First, and most obvious, is the trade request of Dany Heatley, about which Murray suggested he will not be dictating the terms; any deal done will have to be in Ottawa's best interests.
Although Murray spent most of the time discussing Heatley, he also touched on the Senators' need for offensive depth as well as his expectations for the upcoming draft, and whoever the Senators end up selecting with the ninth overall draft choice.
Murray had a number of interesting comments regarding Heatley, in fact. He stated his contention that the Senators organization prides itself on treating their players very well, and that Heatley is no exception--Murray said that Heatley was especially well-treated financially by the team. Most interestingly, though, was that fact that Murray said he wasn't just willing to enter training camp with Heatley on the Sens roster, but that he would in fact prefer it if the two-time 50-goal-scoring winger stayed with the Sens.
Was this all posturing to get himself in a better bargaining position when dealing with other teams? It's entirely possible. But Murray is a gutsy GM, and as horrifying as it would be to enter into a third season with a huge distraction right from the outset for fans and players alike, Murray doesn't seem keen to trade a star player without getting fair value in return.
Murray also spoke about the Senators' need for offensive depth. He said before Heatley's trade request that he felt the team needed one top-six forward, and in response to a question suggested that he would like a second-line centre. This suggests that, although Murray expects 20-25 goals out of Mike Fisher, he may see him as more of a third-line centreman than a second-liner.
Finally, with the ninth overall pick in this year's entry draft, Murray said he has high expectations for whoever the team decides to draft. Although he acknowledged that it's unlikely the player will join the NHL right away, Murray expects it's a distinct possibility the player might play in the NHL as soon as next season. Should the Senators draft Nazem Kadri, as we've predicted, we might