Dany Heatley's "what if" career

[Normand Lacombe]

anyone else recall dan snyder’s dad taking a soft shot at heatley for the trade demand? not his last, of course.

Below is Snyder's quote when Heatley requested a trade out of Ottawa. He also touched upon Heatley's departure from Atlanta.

Heatley's trade request confuses Graham Snyder, whose son, Dan, was killed in a single-car crash involving Heatley's Ferrari in 2003. The two were teammates on the Atlanta Thrashers, the club that drafted Heatley in 2000.
According to Snyder's father, the Thrashers did everything they could to help Heatley get over the death of his teammate. Even the Snyders did their part, helping him avoid certain jail time for vehicular homicide. The family spoke glowingly of Heatley at the time, and told Atlanta prosecutors and the case judge that nothing would be gained by putting him behind bars. The case ended with a plea bargain. Months later, he asked Atlanta to trade him because of the psychological effects of Snyder's death. He landed in Ottawa for Marian Hossa in August 2005.
"I'm surprised (by the trade request) because he signed a long-term deal (with Ottawa) and was playing in a market that seemed to embrace him," Snyder said on Tuesday from his home in Elmira, Ont.
"I was surprised (by his request from Atlanta, too, though). I could understand that one because I probably knew a few things that other people didn't that go on behind the scenes, and it was difficult for him.
"But on the other hand, the Atlanta Thrashers were very, very supportive of him. What (general manager) Don Waddell and the ownership did there for him - it's a pretty tough thing to repay. And he put them in a tight situation as well.
"I was surprised at it, but I understood it. This one, I really don't understand.
"He asked to get out (of Atlanta) and he went to a team that he obviously approved of and had some success (with). They went to the (2007 Stanley Cup) finals. What I can see is that he got a lot of support in Ottawa.
"I don't think it says a lot of positive things on the surface. . . . It sure doesn't show a good team attitude."
Snyder said there would have been "a lot of ways" for Heatley to have dealt with the decision by Clouston to reduce his playing time and bump him down to the second power-play unit, rather than just demand to be traded. "Certainly, (dealing with Clouston) behind the scenes would be a lot more effective, and trying to work through it."
Atlanta's Waddell couldn't be reached for comment, but a team spokesman said: "We know Dany very well. There is always a reason why these things happen."

Dany Heatley: Cheap and pathetic

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

^ a less soft shot. now that i'm reading this again, i remember reading this one too.

that said, i can't imagine the things i would say if a guy drove like a crazy maniac, killed my son, skated, then repaid the team that helped him skate on those charges by putting them in a tight spot. then showed the same ungrateful, entitled character again to his next team, which iirc had signed him to the richest contract in the league.

 

[Pominville Knows]

^ a less soft shot. now that i'm reading this again, i remember reading this one too.

that said, i can't imagine the things i would say if a guy drove like a crazy maniac, killed my son, skated, then repaid the team that helped him skate on those charges by putting them in a tight spot. then showed the same ungrateful, entitled character again to his next team, which iirc had signed him to the richest contract in the league.

But what if the team did not just help him through it becouse they themselves would gain from it? What if they just deemed it the right thing to do?

Right now i'm having trouble remembering everything around the trade from Ottawa, but i met him once when he played there and once when played for San José. I would deem him a restless soul and very accomodating to fans for a player of his stature. He is much more present than the average professional hockey player. There are things at play there.

 

[LuckyPierre]

He was a shooter, thats for sure.

 

[WhalerCane]

Hard to say. I never thought that Heatley was better than Kovalchuk in Atlanta, so I'm not convinced that he does any better than Kovalchuk did down there even if healthy. Without the crash and injury I have to assume that Heatley has an elite season in 2004. I also assume that he stays in Atlanta following the lockout. A healthy Heatley was probably a better offensive player than Hossa, but it's close enough that I think we can guess what his production would have been, though probably a few more goals and maybe fewer assists. I don't know that post-injury Heatley playing with Spezza and Alfredsson (and then Thornton) is much worse off than healthy Heatley in Atlanta, as a great line or playmaker can compensate somewhat for lost mobility. The NHL was becoming a faster league so Heatley was always going to fade but I imagine that he would have aged much more gracefully with a good knee. There's no reason that a player with Heatley's size and shot couldn't have scored 20+ goals each season over the past few years if he'd had any sort of mobility left.

Overall I'd say that the accident and its effects, both mental and physical, changed Heatley from a likely HHOF type player to just an all star. Give Heatley a healthy and elite 2004 season have him age more gracefully and we're likely looking at a player with over 500 goals, 1000 points and a very strong international resume.

He had the hands definitely, but to compare him (not saying you are, but anybody) to Kovy is a bit short-sided I think. Kovy had speed, and lightning fast shot...he just couldn't pass for sh*t! It was fun watching those two live though, and being a former resident of the ATL, was also fun to watch these guys practicing. Incredible talents, the both of them. Whoever mentioned injuries as being part of the downfall was definitely accurate. You could see him laboring in practice after weeks of rehab, and it just took it's toll I think.

 

[nhlfan79]

He had the hands definitely, but to compare him (not saying you are, but anybody) to Kovy is a bit short-sided I think. Kovy had speed, and lightning fast shot...he just couldn't pass for sh*t! It was fun watching those two live though, and being a former resident of the ATL, was also fun to watch these guys practicing. Incredible talents, the both of them. Whoever mentioned injuries as being part of the downfall was definitely accurate. You could see him laboring in practice after weeks of rehab, and it just took it's toll I think.

Mo! It looks like we're getting the band back together!

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

I once remember an article (or maybe it was TV commentator) saying that Heatley and Kovalchuk had the potential to become the Trottier and Bossy of their generation. Obviously that didn't pan out. Kovalchuk/Bossy is a decent comparison, but even before the accident, I never saw Heatley turning into the all-around player that Trottier was.

Bossy is a stretch for Kovalchuck in my opinion. Bossy is the greatest pure triggerman I have ever seen.

 

[Laphroaig]

Heatley's well documented character defects were bound to sabotage his career one way or another.

 

[billybudd]

I don't agree at all that Heatley was a high IQ player. Wonderful combination of big frame and baby soft hands, but his brain and work ethic were both highly questionable.

Justin Bourne was on a podcast half a decade ago saying he used to play with Heatley in the summer (I could search for days and not find it, but it exists). His assessment is that everything Heatley had (which was mostly superhuman hand-eye coordination) he was just born with. That he didn't work at anything or think about what he was doing. Arrived in this world as a better athlete than everyone else from the time his mom brought him home from the hospital and that's why he had a good NHL career. No other reason.

 

[NyQuil]

I don't agree at all that Heatley was a high IQ player. Wonderful combination of big frame and baby soft hands, but his brain and work ethic were both highly questionable.

Justin Bourne was on a podcast half a decade ago saying he used to play with Heatley in the summer (I could search for days and not find it, but it exists). His assessment is that everything Heatley had (which was mostly superhuman hand-eye coordination) he was just born with. That he didn't work at anything or think about what he was doing. Arrived in this world as a better athlete than everyone else from the time his mom brought him home from the hospital and that's why he had a good NHL career. No other reason.

I don't know if I agree with that assessment.

To play with Alfredsson and Spezza at that level, a high IQ was required. They did not play a simple game.

Heatley could score a lot of goals but his playmaking was extremely underrated.

Whether it was unconscious or not, he had excellent anticipation and was very creative offensively.

With respect to his lacking work ethic, I don't think you'll find any disagreement here.

 

[The Pale King]

He sorta looked like someone who should have played in the 70s. Can't explain why.

I always thought he looked a bit like Bobby Clarke, just appearance-wise. Maybe that's why.

 

[jj cale]

I don't know if I agree with that assessment.

To play with Alfredsson and Spezza at that level, a high IQ was required. They did not play a simple game.

Heatley could score a lot of goals but his playmaking was extremely underrated.

Whether it was unconscious or not, he had excellent anticipation and was very creative offensively.

With respect to his lacking work ethic, I don't think you'll find any disagreement here.

I definitely don't agree with that assessment, he wasn't a low I.Q player at all, he had a decent mind for the game.

 

[Troubadour]

I always thought he looked a bit like Bobby Clarke, just appearance-wise. Maybe that's why.

Exactly! I had penned it down in those exact words, but then I searched for some pics, did the juxtaposition and found they didn't look alike as much as I had thought. For whatever reason though (must be the teeth and curly hair and some other something), Dany just does evoke Bobby Clark.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

If Heatley doesn't crash his car (which killed his friend Dan Snyder), he isn't traded from Atlanta to Ottawa, thus Hossa likely doesn't end up on the same trajectory from Atlanta to Pittsburgh (Cup Final L) to Detroit (Cup Final L) to Chicago (3 Cups). The Blackhawks have 3 Cups in part because Heatley crashes his car.

Who knows what happens with the Thrashers if Heatley and Kovalchuk tear it up for the next 5-7 years together. Heatley wouldn't have been a UFA as quickly as Hossa was, thus no need to deal him. Most people thought prior to the crash that Heatley and Kovalchuk would lead Atlanta to contention.

Who knows what happens with Ottawa, San Jose, Minnesota, as they aren't likely stops for Heatley in his career with no crash. The entire league is changed forever because of stupidity behind the wheel in 2003. I love the butterly effect.

RIP Dan Snyder