Well What Now? The Dany Heatley Debacle...

Well, as we were on the air last night, the self imposed deadline from the Ottawa Senators to move Dany Heatley had passed with no action. No change in offer from the Edmonton Oilers, no new teams placing a bid for the scoring left winger and no response from Dany Heatley other than he was not yet ready to make a decision.

Speculation is wide ranging that this lack of action could be due to a number of factors. Is it true that Dany Heatley believes Ottawa could have done more to facilitate a trade to other teams; or at least presented other possible options? We'll never really know. Is it that Dany Heatley is having a change of thought and thinking Ottawa is perhaps a better option than Edmonton? Unless Heatley says so, we'll never know. Is it true that Heatley is so upset that he simply wanted to stick Ottawa with the $4 million bonus and then make his decision? I suppose, but now it may not really matter.

Ottawa sports reporters are now translating statements from Bryan Murray - GM of the Senators -- that while the trade offer from the Oilers hasn't been pulled it will have to change for a trade to take place now that they're on the hook for the $4 million that was transfered to Heatley last night at midnight eastern time. But not so fast...

Word is now, that the NHL would not stand in the way, should the Senators choose to file a grievance if the team who eventually receives Heatley as part of a trade offer to pony up the money. If this is true, the scenario that Heatley was trying to force his current but likely former team to pay his bonus doesn't make a lot of sense. For now, it leaves Oiler fans knowing that Heatley probably just isn't that interested in becoming an Edmonton Oiler.

So what now?

Unless something was said at the meeting in Kelowna last night between Heatley, his agents and the Oilers management that we all don't know about yet; the Oilers have two options. Sit around and wait for a decision or make other moves to try and secure their need for a top 3 left winger.

I'm of the latter. While we don't really know what has been said between the parties involved, this situation and the longer it drags out makes the Oilers look desperate. I can only compare it to a guy whose told his ideal dream girl he loves her enough times that she finally says she loves him back, knowing full well she doesn't mean it; and in fact, probably has another guy on the side that together are just stringing along the poor schmuck until its a suitable time to dump old news. In this case, the Oilers are old news, but only they don't know it being blinded by their love of this ideal dream girl.

There are plenty of options available to this team and it's time they start taking action. Perhaps the following could be suitable:

Trading Souray to LA for Jack Johnson and Alexander Frolov - Souray has value, Jack Johnson's has dropped and Frolov has one year left in LA who won't be making a push this year and is on their list of expendables.

Frolov is a first line LW with more than 20 goals per year since 2005 a relatively healthy games playing record and decent cap hit at $2.9 million per season. This also gives us the chance to sign a faceoff center like a Many Maholtra who can play rugged two way hockey.

Trade a few a combination of players to the Flyers for Simon Gagne. LW winger who can score goals and may be able to be picked up for less than his value due to the need from the Flyers to shed cap space.

The same can be said for Phil Kessel who is an RFA with Boston and obviously being shopped with rumours he was available at the draft.

There are options. UFA's may not be one of them with our inability to move salary to fit a player in, but that said there are teams in a crunch salary wise with players who do not have no movement clauses and might find Edmonton a willing home.