NHL Free Agency Follies: Is Heatley an Oiler or Not?

It begins late in the afternoon, rumors cross various websites saying that the Oilers have offered Dustin Penner and Ladislav Smid for Dany Heatley. Then it grows and suddenly a deal is done pending Heatley.

The deal would be Heatley to Edmonton for Andrew Cogliano, Penner, and Smid.  Cogliano was a first-round draft choice of the Edmonton Oilers in 2005. 

Cogliano is a decent scorer who has some dynamite wheels and if put on the wing, he might get into the mid-twenties in goals. 

Penner was the offer sheet player who costs $4.2 million for a relatively lazy, out-of-shape player. Smid has been a middling tough defenseman who has a possibly good upside. 

All that everyone was waiting for was confirmation that the deal was done. 

Only it never got done. 

Heatley, or at least his camp, have decided to sleep on it. Possibly waiting for the New York Rangers to up their bid.

It was speculated by Darren Millard of Rogers Sportsnet that Heatley's camp has the Rangers as its No. 1 preference and may want to give them a chance to get the deal done.

Combined with all this confusion is the $4 million bonus Heatley is due on July 1. It apparently has a deadline of midnight Wednesday instead of Tuesday as everyone assumed.

Some suspect the agents held that one up to try and wiggle a deal from the Rangers, or possibly a third team which has seen an offer and may think they can beat the Oilers. 

For Oilers fans it is a killer night. After the 2006 Pronger trade request, few Oilers fans have the patience to wait out player foibles. There is too long of a list of burned fingers.

This means that fans are fairly upset.

Especially if the last message they got was coming from Bob McKenzie of TSN, that the deal was off because Heatley did not waive his no-trade clause.

Others might have gone to bed thinking the deal was done, as reported by other organizations.

Others still, like myself, are going to bed with nothing but confusion.

No matter what happens it is important that the Edmonton Oilers not get too locked in on this deal, as they did with Marian Hossa last year, and lose sight on the things they need to do tomorrow.

Therefore, if I'd set a 10 a.m. deadline for a Heatley deal.If he cannot decide, well it is time to move on to better things for the good of the team. 

Either way the Oilers remain a team of interest on July 1st once again.