Hossa - Heatley trade

[begbeee]

Both were young guns entering in their prime.
I understand why Heatley wanted to go away from Atlanta, doesnt understand why Ottawa wanted to send away probably their 2nd best forward.
Hossa was already better than Heatley and more proven. It was not like he started to play great defense in last few years, he did already in Ottawa.

First few seasons it looks like Ottawa made a good decision. Anyway, Hossa was great in Atlanta and he became a well respected person in the locker room and in the league. He played 3 SC finals, scored plenty of goals while providing TOP3 defense by a winger in NHL.
Heatley scored even more goals but at the end of a day he became a cancer of locker room and lost respect.

Would you make this trade again?
How would careers of Heatley with Atlanta and Hossa with Ottawa look like?

Click to read more...

 

[JaysCyYoung]

As ultimately destructive as that trade worked out for Ottawa in the end in terms of the club's dressing room harmony (and what little they received for Heatley from San Jose), it is hard to call the trade a bad one from their perspective: Heatley had two consecutive 100+ point seasons and was a Second Team All-Star and First Team All-Star in consecutive seasons, and he led the playoffs in assists and points in 2007 during Ottawa's run all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Hossa played on a poorer team and has always been the more well-rounded forward but he never reached Heatley's heights of individual success and certainly not success team-wise that Dany did with the Senators.

Moreover, neither club received anything substantial in return for either player's services once they chose to deal them away, although Hossa did finally get his coveted Stanley Cup after two previous unsuccessful attempts. Perhaps there was some karma in that as Heatley continues to search for his first win?

 

[TasteofFlames]

As an Atlanta fan, I'd do that trade every time. I remember reading about the move and thinking to myself, "well, if we have to trade Heatley, we couldn't do much better than getting Hossa back." This is one of those rare deals that was a pretty good trade at the time, and in retrospect, is still a pretty even trade.

At the time of the trade, ATL was trading an up-and coming goal scorer who was emotionally exhausted given the whole Dan Snyder situation for a proven 40-goal man with great 2-way play.

ATL ended up with a guy who scored the only 100 point season in team history, led the Thrash to their only division title/playoff appearance, and should have been a hart nominee in 06-07. He led the team in ES goals/ points, led them in PP points (1 short of team lead in PPG, too) and SH goals/points, and played >2:00/game on the PK. It was most definitely the best season by a Thrasher ever.

Ottawa ended up with a back-to-back 50 goal guy, a 2x post-season all-star, and the trigger man on the best line in hockey for a few years.

 

[GummoMarx]

Hossa was great, but 2006-07 was an extremely strong year for Hart nominees. 19 year Crosby winning the scoring title and propelling the Pens back to respectability, Brodeur and Luongo both breaking Bernie Parent's record for wins in a season.

 

[Brodeur]

Both were young guns entering in their prime.
I understand why Heatley wanted to go away from Atlanta, doesnt understand why Ottawa wanted to send away probably their 2nd best forward.
Hossa was already better than Heatley and more proven. It was not like he started to play great defense in last few years, he did already in Ottawa.

Everybody was getting adjusted to the salary cap after the lockout. Ottawa was a contending club in 2003-04, so they had to make some tough decisions to get back down to 39 million. Heatley at 4.5 mil cap hit opened up some space compared to Hossa at 6 million. They also included Greg de Vries who was making 2+ million as well.

 

[MadLuke]

Very very good trades for the good team and was from day 1, Ottawa needed the smaller cap hit, Heatly obviously delivered, Hossa was a total beast with the Trasher and justified is bigger salary.

 

[reckoning]

After the trade, the Ottawa sports media (led by Garrioch and Brennan) indulged in their usual habit of smearing ex-Senators by trying to portray Hossa as some greedy brat who wasn't willing to give the "hometown discount", and how Ottawa would be better off with a team player like Heatley. Funny how that worked out.

 

[Tavaresmagicalplay*]

After the trade, the Ottawa sports media (led by Garrioch and Brennan) indulged in their usual habit of smearing ex-Senators by trying to portray Hossa as some greedy brat who wasn't willing to give the "hometown discount", and how Ottawa would be better off with a team player like Heatley. Funny how that worked out.

I believe it was a money issue though. It was pretty underhanded what they did though and it probably had a big hand in Chara not resigning.

 

[Poignant Discussion*]

I believe it was a money issue though. It was pretty underhanded what they did though and it probably had a big hand in Chara not resigning.

It was also the last straw for the players. After that move, NMC's became standard

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

it would have been impossible to keep hossa after the lockout. but that's one hell of a heartbreaking what-if for sens fans-- hossa and chara instead of heatley and redden. one guy became a 100 point scorer while still playing a commendable two-way game, the other a norris winner, both champions.

 

[jcbio11]

As ultimately destructive as that trade worked out for Ottawa in the end in terms of the club's dressing room harmony (and what little they received for Heatley from San Jose), it is hard to call the trade a bad one from their perspective: Heatley had two consecutive 100+ point seasons and was a Second Team All-Star and First Team All-Star in consecutive seasons, and he led the playoffs in assists and points in 2007 during Ottawa's run all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Hossa played on a poorer team and has always been the more well-rounded forward but he never reached Heatley's heights of individual success and certainly not success team-wise that Dany did with the Senators.

Moreover, neither club received anything substantial in return for either player's services once they chose to deal them away, although Hossa did finally get his coveted Stanley Cup after two previous unsuccessful attempts. Perhaps there was some karma in that as Heatley continues to search for his first win?

I disagree.

You know he had a 92 and a 100 point seasons with the Thrashers? All this while playing better defense than Heatly ever did.

 

[tony d]

Would have loved to have kept both Hossa and Chara. With the 2 of them in the lineup over Heatley and Redden I think Ottawa would have won the 2007 Stanley Cup.

 

[Poignant Discussion*]

Would have loved to have kept both Hossa and Chara. With the 2 of them in the lineup over Heatley and Redden I think Ottawa would have won the 2007 Stanley Cup.

Agreed Tony under one condition.....a healthy Hasek was needed. I don't believe Emery was ready at the time to lead his team to a cup.

I hated the deal for the Sens when it was made. That deal sort of cost the Sens Chara as well. It was written somewhere that he didn't want to stay because of the way his friend was treated. I understand why they did it, just didn't like the execution at all. One of Muckler's bigger mistakes. Marshal Johnson never would have made that trade

 

[Big Phil]

At the time, the deal seemed to favour Ottawa I thought. Remember how great Heatley was in 2003? Then the accident set him back a bit, but in 2005 he was only 24 years old. He strings together back to back 50+ goal and 100+ point seasons (no one scored more goals those two years than him) and formed the best line in the NHL. At the end of the 2007 season despite Hossa putting up a 100 point season himself on a mediocre team I think you'd have figured Heatley to be the better player and Ottawa to have won that deal.

Fast forward a couple of years where Heatley's stock dropped faster than Enron's and then you have Hossa who was in the middle of his "every team I end up on makes the final" period. Heatley bolts for San Jose and Hossa wins a Cup with Chicago playing well in the final. By 2010 the roles had reversed and we realized that not only was Hossa a champion and a better all around player, but Heatley was a headache and a selfish player.

If this is 2007 and you asked me who was the more likely future HHOFer, Heatley or Hossa I'd have said Heatley. If you ask yourself this today, or in 2010 then the answer is Hossa without a second thought. Funny how that flips so quickly.

So Ottawa won in the short term, but lost in the long run. And we don't even need to poll anyone here to ask who they'd want on their team, Hossa or Heatley

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

i remember at the time of the car accident, i thought to myself, what if it had been kovalchuk and not heatley? would kovalchuk have gotten nearly as much support, and would the negative comments have been kept to such a bare minimum?

flash forward to the hossa trade. hossa is a greedy european, a playoff choker, a 40 goal scorer with 13 career playoff goals, not a guy you can win with. heatley is a big rugged canadian power forward in the making. plus he's two years younger, costs less, and scored 40 goals when he was 22-- how good will this kid be when he rounds out his game? could he become the most complete forward in the league?

funny thing, perception.

 

[overpass]

The trade was a bit of a gamble at the time for Ottawa, as it wasn't certain how Heatley would come back from his injuries. He had a higher upside than Hossa but more downside too. As it turned out, Heatley had lost a step but was still very effective at first. His mobility and effectiveness declined toward the end in Ottawa, and AFAICT has continued to do so in San Jose.

I think Hossa was the better player because of his two-way ability, but the trade made sense for Ottawa because Heatley could play LW. Ottawa had Alfredsson and Havlat at RW too. Although Havlat wasn't in their long-term plans, that was still a glut of talent at RW and a shortage at LW. With the righthanded Jason Spezza as a future #1 centre, a goal-scoring LW made sense.

After the trade, the Ottawa sports media (led by Garrioch and Brennan) indulged in their usual habit of smearing ex-Senators by trying to portray Hossa as some greedy brat who wasn't willing to give the "hometown discount", and how Ottawa would be better off with a team player like Heatley. Funny how that worked out.

Never have the Ottawa media more clearly displayed how they were in the team's pocket. Everybody agreed that Heatley was getting a fresh start, and agreed not to ask him any tough questions. (Heatley's easy ride from the media would continue until the very end, especially when compared to the way they treated Spezza.) And Hossa, who had just been treated very shabbily by Muckler in shipping him out right after he signed, was smeared as a greedy player and a gutless Euro. According to the team (through their mouthpieces in the media), bringing in a gritty Canadian team player like Heatley was the answer to their playoff failures.

 

[JaysCyYoung]

I disagree.

You know he had a 92 and a 100 point seasons with the Thrashers? All this while playing better defense than Heatly ever did.

Yes I do know that. You also know that Heatley put up back to back 50/100 seasons and consecutive All-Star Team selections while leading the post-season in points? I'd still take Hossa if I were forced to choose between the two due to his all-around fine play, but it's not black and white.

 

[MikeyMagic]

Yes I do know that. You also know that Heatley put up back to back 50/100 seasons and consecutive All-Star Team selections while leading the post-season in points? I'd still take Hossa if I were forced to choose between the two due to his all-around fine play, but it's not black and white.

Just to note on that part, Heatley was actually pretty bad that playoff run and was carried on the back of Daniel Alfredsson and to a lesser extent Jason Spezza on that run. Heatley became a second assist man during the playoffs and never really showed up for any playoff run with the Senators.

 

[JaysCyYoung]

Any black ink statistical measure is still a significant accomplishment no matter how it was perceived to have been achieved.

 

[Caeldan]

Just to note on that part, Heatley was actually pretty bad that playoff run and was carried on the back of Daniel Alfredsson and to a lesser extent Jason Spezza on that run. Heatley became a second assist man during the playoffs and never really showed up for any playoff run with the Senators.

If I recall it was revealed after he was playing with a busted rib and a foot issue as well.

Sorry for the necro post. Got lost in dates when doing some searches... :/

 

[alko]

Both were young guns entering in their prime.
I understand why Heatley wanted to go away from Atlanta, doesnt understand why Ottawa wanted to send away probably their 2nd best forward.

Heatley was 23 years old that time. big future ahead. And he was more offensive oriented guy. And a big reason (IMO), he is a Canadian boy.
Dream of every marketing manager from every Canadian team is to have big offensive star, that will sell tickets and will be a magnet for media.

 

[begbeee]

23 vs. 25 years is not a difference. Hossa had similar offensive potential, both were already proven, Hossa obviously more at the time.
It's like fantasy trade of Paciorrety for Benn...not much sense in it.

 

[Hossa]

Heatley was 23 years old that time. big future ahead. And he was more offensive oriented guy. And a big reason (IMO), he is a Canadian boy.
Dream of every marketing manager from every Canadian team is to have big offensive star, that will sell tickets and will be a magnet for media.

No doubt the trade was sold, and largely lauded by the media (local and national), as the acquisition of a classic Canadian power forward whose old school style would push the Sens over the top. One of the most absurd media narratives in recent NHL history, particularly in hindsight.

 

[Big Phil]

Heatley was a healthy scratch this postseason. If anyone wonders who ended up being the better player, don't bother.

 

[begbeee]

This is not about who ended up as the better one, it's obvious. It's about the (in my opinion stupid and not fair) trade.
It goes as deep as to this trade to understand why Hossa became so called "mercenary". It's about Senators backoffice who made terrible mistake. Not as Heatley was not (f...g) All-star in Ottawa and didn't share some success, but would it be worse with Hossa? No way, only better. Hossa led uncomparable squad to one and only playoff berth and then became almost a year-by-year SC final inventary. I don't buy this worked for Ottawa, nor it had any sense at the time.