Oh Dany Boy, The Pipes, The Pipes are callinnnn...

So. The Heater wants out.

Pardon me if I don't think this is the end of the world; in fact, I've said before that trading Heatley was the thing to do.

I think many of the Senators woes can be traced back to their cup run. The problem wasn't the success, the problem is that too many players got rewarded for the success. With Spezza, Alfredsson, and Heatley all got big-money contracts. The problem is that tying up money in the front line reduced its availability everywhere else. This means that you can't afford a sold second or third line, and instead have to fill out the roster with cheap more affordable third- and fourth-liners.

Oh, and Mike Fisher. Who is undoubtedly either an overpaid third/fourth liner, or a waaaay underperforming second-liner. But I digress.

While I am not sad to see him go, it does make me sad to see some of the venom being spewed by the blogging community. Heatly is being treated as a major traitor, one who should be tarred and feathered before being run over with several trucks. Some of the commentary is downright evil.

The thing is, I'm almost more on their side than on the keep-Heatly side. I've always thought he was a one-trick pony -- mind you, it is one hell of a trick. I've always thought his character was lacking after he drove his high-performance sports car (I'm going to say Ferrari because it's a cliche) into a tree, killing a team mate. Oh, and he had been drinking at the time. Oh, and all he got was community service.

If you or I had fueled ourselves with alcohol and driven a Ferrari into a tree, killing someone, you can be sure we'd get a little more than community fucking service. Well, even after adjusting for the fact that we'd be in for Grand Theft Auto too, as it's the only way I'll ever get behind the wheel of a Ferrari. But anyways.

It is totally undeniable, though, that Ottawa got the better part of that trade. The boy can play the game, and the on-ice results are really all that matters. (Thus, community service.) We can be thankful for the goals he's scored and the pizza we've eaten thanks to his efforts. Heatly is a tremendous asset who will continue to produce wherever he lands and I'm sure he'll make some GM very happy.

Still, at $7.5 mil per, he's over priced and taking up cap space that could be better used.

Hopefully this will get the boo-birds off of Jason Spezza's back for ten minutes.