Heatley is Worth A Shot

Yesterday, LA Kings’ GM, Dean Lombardi, stated that taking on Dany Heatley would be too great a risk for his team. His comments raise an interesting question, and it is not whether Heatley is worth the risk, it is how big a risk does Heatley actually pose? Since demanding a trade from the Senators in June, the team that gave him a second chance after his disastrous car accident in Atlanta, and then rejecting a potential trade to the Edmonton Oilers, Canadians have taken every opportunity to bash his integrity, this blogger included.

There is a good chance that it’s all been blown out of proportion. Obviously the way he’s gone about his business this summer is questionable, but does that really ruin his worth as a player and a teammate? While his current Senators associates are probably not supportive of his actions, surely he is not as unpopular as certain lightning rods, like Sean Avery and Ray Emery. Former NHL player and analyst, Ray Ferraro, who knows Heatley personally, has told the Team 1040 radio station that not only is Heatley a good teammate, but his game will return to its former glory this season.

Considering that he had a sub-standard performance last year, scoring only 39 goals, after achieving the 50 goal mark twice previously, a return to form would certainly make him a valuable commodity. And if his reputation as a bad teammate has indeed been blown out of proportion this summer, the only risk may be the large contract of $7.5 million per year that his new team will have to take on. For a big power forward who scores 50 goals, general managers should perhaps not be so quick to write him off.