HEATLEY FOR HAVLAT
The Minnesota Wild acquired winger Dany Heatley from the San Jose Sharks for winger Martin Havlat.
What does it give the Minnesota Wild
The Wild have been undergoing a huge makeover this off-season, mostly thanks to blockbuster deals with the Sharks. After adding Devin Setoguchi to their right wing in the Brent Burns deal, now comes Heatley--who instantly becomes the team's top winger. 'Heater' underachieved last season (although San Jose's scoring was more spread out in general), and the Sharks' inability to win a Stanley Cup suggests a chemistry change was needed. Returning to a more wide-open style may pump some life into Heatley's game, as the former 50-goal guy is far from over the hill at age 30. Minny pays a significant amount more per year for him than they were paying Havlat, but Heatley's contract has one year less (three, compared to four for Havlat).
What does it give the San Jose Sharks
Like Heatley in San Jose, Havlat somewhat underwhelmed on the score-sheet in Minny last season--despite still mostly playing like a star. Part of that was his lack of a top-tier supporting cast, so there's a good chance Havlat will thrive in San Jose. If he plays regularly with Joe Thornton, Havlat may post career numbers. Moreover, Havlat adds some needed speed to the lineup, while his contract helps the Sharks cut significant payroll for the next three seasons.
Fantasy impact
