James Gordon wonders:Can someone tell me how Heatley can ever come back and play here if a trade doesn't materialize?My answer:
Oh, that's almost trivially easy: put the puck in the net a dozen times in the first dozen games, including one OT winner against Toronto. If he does that, all sins will be forgiven. At least they will at the stadium, even if the media will enjoy grinding their axes longer than that.If anything, the media will enjoy this kind of situation -- having a hero they can tear down, so that they can build him up again, giving them the opportunity to tear him down again.
The problem is that Ottawa fans are fickle. (Or at least, the media and blog-o-sphere is.) So any excuse to pile on, and people will pile on. See for example practically any thread about Jason Spezza. However, the good news is that Ottawa fans are fickle -- should Heatley start producing, and winning, and the fans will love him again. All of which will make the sense of betrayal even sweeter when the inevitable trade gets arranged around Christmas.
That's Ottawa for you. We can't do hockey, but by god we can do dramah.
