Larry Brooks NY Post

The Senators, however, may not be able to accommodate Heatley, whom they paid $10 million last season on the first year of a six-year extension worth an average of $7.5M per year. The Kings may prefer to wait until the free-agent market opens and go after either Marian Gaborik or Marian Hossa, the latter likely to be cut free by the Red Wings. Anaheim may not be interested. St. Louis may not be a willing partner.

Meanwhile, Ottawa GM Bryan Murray is going to push as hard as possible to get Heatley out of Dodge prior to July 1, when he's owed $4M up front of the $8M he's due to be paid this season. Imagine, there is a possibility the Senators will wind up paying Heatley $14M for one season of disservice. Hey, that's gratitude for you.

As such, the Rangers could be presented with the chance to acquire Heatley this week. We're told that though the team is not on the winger's list of preferred options, he likely would not block a trade to New York.

The draft is this weekend. Qualifying offers are due to restricted free agents by 5 p.m. a week from tomorrow. If the Rangers do acquire Heatley this weekend, they probably wouldn't qualify Nik Zherdev at the required $3.25M. Actually, Sather likely would attempt to include Zherdev in the package going to Ottawa.

The Senators are not going to get equal value on Heatley. Absorbing the $7.5M cap hit plus the remainder of the contract (either $31M or $35M depending on the date of the transaction) is the trade. If the Rangers could include Michal Rozsival in the deal, it's a slam dunk for Broadway.

There are some people out there who argue that the Rangers couldn't acquire Heatley without moving Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Michal Del Zotto, Evgeny Grachev, or Bobby Sanguinetti. Well that just is not the case at all. It's simple economics. The Sens have everything working against them. Heatley has control that eliminates potential trading partners. This further hampers Brian Murray's ability to get fair value for the all-star sniper b/c his large contract and big cap hit eliminates a good portion of teams. Add in the fact that the Sens have no leverage since they want to move him before July 1st so they can avoid anting up the $4 million he's owed for next season and the that is how a Michal Rozsival and Nikky Zherdev deal is possible.

Even worse for Murray and the Sens is that there are cheaper alternatives to Heatley. Marian Gaborik and Marian Hossa could be had for a similar contract, but without the loss of personal. Everything, let me be more clear, EVERYTHING is working against the Senators. Now that isn't to say some desperate team won't offer a lucrative trade (please don't be the Rangers) but the chances of that are slim. Sather needs to pounce on this opportunity and make a pich for Heatley at the draft. Leverage is key in a trade.

One last thing, if that scenario sounds familiar, well it's because it's everything I said a week ago. Not to toot the ol' horn or anything.

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