Sharks’ Dany Heatley Traded to Wild for Martin Havlat

 Minnesota Wild trade Martin Havlat for San Jose Sharks’ Dany Heatley

In a surprise move the Sharks have apparently initiated a trade for their right wing sniper, Dany Heatley for right winger Martin Havlat of the Minnesota Wild.  Each player scored roughly the same points in the 2010-11 campaign.  Sixty two points for Havlat and 64 for Heatley. 

The trade might appear to be teams swapping for equal players, but getting a player in return that they think will add more to the mix.  Then again, Heatley has scored 100+ points twice while Havlat’s best season was seventy seven points as a member of the Blackhawks.

Both are big men but Heatley is clearly more willing to throw the hits as well as shoot the puck.  The obvious advantage to the Sharks is a bit of salary cap relief, unloading a hefty $7.5M cap-hit over the next three years.  The Wild get a player that might be a bit more durable and fits into their new offensive philosophy.

Heatley has been traded before.  First it was from Atlanta to Ottawa in 2005.  Ottawa saw Heatley scoring 100+ points before the relationship went sour and Heatley was traded to San Jose.  This latest trade was possible despite a modified no trade clause in Heatley’s contract.  There were ten teams he was allowed to name as locations he could not be traded to.

Dany Heatley’s trade to the Wild for Martin Havlat has surprised a lot of hockey fans and experts.  San Jose and Minnesota are clearly working hard to re-tool their teams for the future.

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Dany Heatley

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