Just an undigested idea that crossed my mind when I saw this article.
Dany Heatley - Cap hit $7.5 million
Phil Kessel - Asking $5 million in contract renegotiations
PJ Axelsson - Cap hit $1.8 million, contract ends 7/1/09.
Blockbuster trades between division rivals are unusual, but still... allowing Axelsson to walk and then sign-and-trading Kessel to Ottawa would solve a lot of problems for both the Bruins and Sens. The wing-for-wing swap would ensure roster stability, Boston gets a reliable 40-50 goal scorer and the Sens get a silver lining for their rebuild. Ottawa gets a bit of wiggle room under the cap and the Bruins spend slightly more for a much better winger.
A complimentary deal would likely need to be made, since this would leave the Bs weak at RW. Perhaps moving Sturm or Bergeron for a less-expensive winger would help fill that gap and restore some cap space.
Before you write it off, think: Heatley-Savard-Ryder. It would be pretty, if not gritty.
4 comments:
That's definitely an intriguing deal. A lot of people are making Heatley proposals but it typical Internet fashion they are completely awful for the Sens. Getting Kessel would be ... kind of reasonable to quite logical.
Relatively speaking.
I'd rather have Kessel and Axelsson than Heatley, myself. But I'm a big Axelsson fan.
james - The Sens are in an awfully tought spot on this one. Big cap number, no-trade clause, history of problems off the ice, and now the public exposure of his trade request. I don't envy any GM trying to make a trade with that kind of material... no love lost for the Sens but they don't deserve to get screwed out of a superstar like that.
Cornelius - How much do you think PJ's worth if he were to stay? $1.8m seems like an awful lot for a utility player with no scoring touch.
let me know if you still want heatley after reading this:
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Ottawa/2009/06/11/9762051-sun.html
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