Heatley: Time To Seal The Deal

The alleged evenness of the Hossa / Heatley trade is brought up every time the two teams play or when one or the other reaches a key milestone. I actually don't think the deal was as close as it is often made out to be and in fact I'd say it's one of the few occasions where John Muckler took a gamble and seriously improved the team's bang for the buck. Notwithstanding the de Vries salary dump, Heatley's back to back 100+ point seasons have cost about $44,000 per point, whereas each point scored by Hossa cost around $60,000. This will of course inflate significantly if a second 50 goal campaign can be reached.

What will allow an objective observer to conclude the trade was an Ottawa win? Heatley's playoff performance. In his first ever appearance in the NHL playoffs, he scored 12 points in 10 games, almost twice the number of playoff points per game tallied by Hossa in 51 appearances (34 points total). Given the fact that his performance from January on may well have saved the Sens season, a little more clutch action might be in store for his second trip to the post-season. As we patiently (hopelessly?) await Jason Spezza's transition into the next Steve Yzerman, let's not overlook Heatley's transition into the next Brett Hull.