Silver Nuggets: Is it time to move on from Heatley?

On Sunday, Ken Warren penned an article about how Dany Heatley's shadow still looms large over the Ottawa Senators today. Basically, the premise is this: The Senators franchise is moving forward with the Senate Reform and looking to the future, so maybe it's time for fans to do the same, rather than dwelling on the past. Warren also points out that Heatley's performance has been diminishing regularly, too, so perhaps his leaving to was a blessing in disguise for the Senators organization.

Is it time for fans to move on, though?

It's tough to have a rational discussion about this. It's quite obvious by his actions that Diminished Dany couldn't care less what people think about him, so our booing him doesn't likely affect him in any way. It just makes fans feel a little bit of satisfaction, however fleeting, in thinking that he's getting what he deserves.

Still, sports fans have long memories, and what Heatley did to this team and by extension its fans was pretty gutless. People booed Alexei Yashin for the rest of his career, and he got us two of the best players this team's ever had in trade; Heatley had the team over the barrel and forced Ottawa to accept a lesser return (no offence intended to Milan Michalek, who's looked very good so far). Fans will continue to boo. And I don't blame them.

Links after the jump.

Senators News

• Want some recaps from the Leafs game? Here's a few: Citizen | Ottawa Sun | Toronto Star | Kingston Whig-Standard | National Post |
• Speaking of the Leafs game, Bruce Garrioch pulled out his pom-poms to decry the Dion Phaneuf hit on Stephane Da Costa a "cheapshot." Not sure if he saw the same footage I did, because it was as clean as they come. Big hit? Yes. Illegal hit? Not a chance. And Da Costa knew it. (Sun)
• Paul MacLean seems to think the biggest problem for the Sens so far is getting down on themselves when they allow a goal. He's calling for the vets to step up and resolve that issue. (Citizen)
• Daniel Alfredsson's teammates are going to spare no expense lobbying him to stick around after this season. So are Sens fans, I'm sure. I'm not too proud to beg. (Sun)
• New line combos from practice: Greening-Spezza-Zibanejad, Michalek-Da Costa-Butler, Foligno-Regin-Neil, Z. Smith-Konopka-Condra. Nikita Filatov apparently alternated on the fourth line. (Sylvain St-Laurent)
• Also at practice today was a pairing of Chris Phillips and David Rundblad, indicating that Rundblad may make his rookie debut tomorrow night. Brian Lee looks to be the healthy scratch. (Sylvain St-Laurent)
  
• Jason Spezza thinks the Senators' third-period performances we've seen so far demonstrate the play Ottawa's capable of. (Sun)
• It probably will be a long season for the Ottawa Senators. (Citizen)
• Jason York takes a look at five things that could make the Sens rebuild a lot faster than we might expect. The first two games haven't inspired confidence for any of the five happening. (Sun)
• The Binghamton Senators are also 0-2 to start the season, losing to the Hershey Bears (Press & Sun Bulletin) and then the Toronto Marlies (Press & Sun Bulletin) both by 3-2 scores. Kaspars Daugavins and Patrick Wiercioch are tied for the team lead in points with 1G and 1A each.
• Chris Kelly credited current Senators Chris Phillips and Daniel Alfredsson as role models who helped him shape his locker-room presence. (NECN)
• Varada looks at the peculiar circumstance of Leafs fans' gloating as a coping mechanism to deal with their near-crippling desperation for a seriously competitive hockey team to cheer for. (Welcome To Your Karlsson Years)

Around the league

• The Colorado Avalanche retired Peter Forsberg's jersey on Sunday night. Awesome photo and fan reaction over on Mile High Hockey.
• The Royal Canadian Mint wanted in on some of that sweet, sweet Winnipeg Jets branding money, and have unveiled a couple Jets coins for interested collectors. (National Post)
• The Jets, however, were not great in their first game in Winnipeg. They lost 5-1, with Nik Antropov scoring the first goal for the Winnipeg Jets 2.0.

Is it time for Sens fans to forget about booing Dany Heatley?