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MNWild: Much Ado About Dany |
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The fans admiration and support of Dany Heatley in each of his previous three NHL stops turned sour as his production and effectiveness trailed off. It seems as though Heatley’s relationship with Wild fans is playing out in the same fashion. Heatley has put up some very impressive scoring numbers at every level of hockey whether it is collegiate, international, or the NHL. It is hard to envision a player so gifted declining so dramatically given the ageless wonder types that are still playing important roles elsewhere in the NHL like Jaromir Jagr and Teemu Selanne. So it begs the question, is Heatley through 7 games showing that he is no longer capable of contributing the scoring he is known for? Are there other factors at play creating an adverse working relationship between Heatley and the Wild? Can Heatley slow start just be attributed to early season rust and a sign that with age his skating and conditioning will take longer to be NHL effective?
In his first season as a member of the Wild, Heatley was their main scoring contributor and constant presence in the lineup and on the top line during a season plagued by injuries and ineffectiveness. During the 2011-12 Season Heatley played all 82 games accounting for 53 points with 24 goals. Considering the Wild parted ways with much maligned and injury prone Martin Havlat in return for Heatley it seemed General Manager Chuck Fletcher had pulled off a heist of the Sharks. Since the 2011 draft day trade Havlat has played in the less than 100 games struggling to overcome injury issues and only totaling 45points over the past 2 seasons. I think people forget that Havlat was Fletcher’s first big free agent signing so for Fletcher to be able to move his 6yr/$30Mil contract for anything of value was pretty remarkable. I am not attempting to defend how little value the Wild has thus far gotten for the last 3 years of Heatley’s 6yr/$45Mil signed while he was still a member of the Ottawa Senators. Havlat meanwhile has another year left on his contract with a $5mil cap hit that will continue to hinder the Sharks ability to maneuver.
Last season being shortened by lockout was certainly not helpful to Heatley’s ability to get his production back on track as he struggled mightily to participate in Head Coach Mike Yeo’s fore check dependant system. Heatley was assigned to the top line to begin the season with Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu. I believed it was not a complimentary mix of players on a line given their individual skill set and the results while the line was intact proved my point. None of those three players carry and possess the puck with great skill as Parise’s ability are better classified as a top tier grinder type of skill set. Koivu is best described as a strong two way center who is more of a facilitator than sniper type who truly excel at shielding opponents from the puck and battling in tight space rather than carry with speed and playmaking. Heatley in his second year very early on showed signs of decline in his skating ability to the point that Parise and Koivu often had their efforts on the fore check and in attempting to setup in the offensive zone thwarted on a consistent basis while waiting for Heatley to position himself. Unfortunately 1st time Head Coach Yeo chose to avoid taking action on this debilitating issue of Heatley not being capable of fulfilling a top line role with the Wild two hardest working forwards and the affect rippled throughout the Wild’s line combinations.
It goes without saying that Heatley would have been the Wild’s first cap compliance buyout this past summer had he not been ineligible due to his being considered an injured player. I believe in fact both Heatley and Gilbert would have been bought of their contracts if it had been possible clearing north of $11Mil in cap space for the Wild headed into free agency last July. Instead Heatley stays and Fletcher was forced to maneuver as he did making bargain level deals and shipping Devin Setogucci to Winnipeg in a salary dump for a 2014 2nd round pick. Clearly a disconnect between the Wild and Heatley is evolving given all of the performance versus salary evaluation and inability to maneuver as result. Also I think the way Heatley’s season ended last year and natural trajectory of the organizations young forwards playing Top6 minutes this season has meant a doomed season for Heatley from the start.
I think the expectation of Heatley as explained by Yeo before this season started was mostly coach speak and wishful thinking. It has been abundantly clear the style of hockey the Wild has played through 7 games does not fit Heatley’s capabilities at this point in his career. Heatley has been turnover prone in the neutral zone because he is not moving his feet and in the offensive zone far too often missed opportunities on the rush and otherwise have occurred because of him being a stride or two late. It is clear Heatley in his current form is a player that needs the system/line combination catered specifically to his tangible skills which I guess would be his shot and physical size. I believe that once Coyle returns from injury, Yeo will be forced to address what to do with Heatley but until then I don’t see any resolution or decisive action being taken which is to the detriment of the team. Even should Heatley be removed from the Top6, where does he land in the line combinations? The 3rd line has been very good for the Wild thus far and is viewed as a line needed to combat the opponents top skill line so Heatley certainly does not fit that description. So then we are talking about either the 4th Line or making him a healthy scratch. Yeo has tap danced around Heatley for the better part of two years I have serious doubts that changes now despite him being on the perceived hot seat. If Heatley is to be removed from the active lineup or placed on waivers it will have to come from Fletcher. Stay tuned caused it will probably get worse before it gets better.
Just Giving My Take,
Tony Dean
@AWKD
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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