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free canon s100sp driverOctober 23, 2005
10/23
Bruce Garrioch: The reeling Edmonton Oilers -- losers of six straight games -- are looking for scoring help and the word is they have targeted Senators winger Martin Havlat.
There is one problem: He's not available.
Sources say Oilers GM Kevin Lowe hasn't made it a secret he'd like to add a player who can put the puck in the net because nobody on his club is currently doing the job.
While Lowe was willing to brag to anybody who would listen in the off-season that the new collective bargaining agreement would help his club compete with everybody else, that hasn't been the case at all.
PANIC BUTTON
Now, the word is Lowe is ready to push the panic button and there have been whispers coming out of Edmonton that Havlat might be available because he's in the Senators' doghouse as a result of the five-game suspension he received last week..
No, the Senators aren't happy Havlat kicked Boston defenceman Hal Gill in groin, but that doesn't mean GM John Muckler is ready to give up on a guy who might be the most skilled player on the team.
Making $2.6 million (all terms US) this season, Havlat, 24, hasn't reached his potential as an NHLer and the Senators realize he has all the tools to become a 50-goal scorer.
Naturally, adding him to the Oilers' lineup would make sense. Ales Hemsky hasn't performed up to his potential and Havlat would bring speed to a team that has always prided itself on being able to skate.
Sources say Muckler isn't willing to make a move involving Havlat.
Let's face it, Brandon Bochenski remains a wild card on the top line (playing with Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley) and if he doesn't show consistency, Havlat will get some ice time on the No. 1 unit.
The Senators could have dealt Havlat to the Carolina Hurricanes for winger Erik Cole last summer, but didn't make the move when the opportunity to deal Marian Hossa to Atlanta for Heatley presented itself.
Lowe can call Muckler if he likes, but it's doubtful the Ottawa GM will listen to anything involving Havlat at the moment.
Bruce Garrioch: Martin Havlat issued an apology yesterday.
No, not to Bruins defenceman Hal Gill for hoofing him in the groin last weekend.
Havat said sorry to his teammates for the position he's put them in early in the season.
And, with his five-game suspension extended to Nov. 2 because of the postponement of last night's game against the Florida Panthers in Fort Lauderdale due to Hurricane Wilma, Havlat will have a longer wait to return.
"I'm not sorry (to Gill) because I was just trying to defend myself, but I'm sorry to my teammates because I should be on the ice with them and I'm not doing them any good watching from the stands," Havlat said following practice here yesterday.
"I'm not going to say it won't happen again because it was a defensive reaction to a situation, but I shouldn't have done it because it put my team in a bad position. I don't want to be watching. I want to be playing and this isn't good."
Bruce Garrioch: "If I see somebody taking liberties on our skill players, like Hal Gill did last week on (Martin Havlat), then I'm going to take care of business," said Neil.
"It's been tough this year because fighting is down and that instigator rule in the last five minutes (of the third period) has really changed the way you play," added Neil. "But if anybody hits (Daniel Alfredsson) or Havlat or any of our other skill players, I'm going to take note of it and then it's up to guys like me, (Zdeno Chara) and (Brian McGrattan) to take care of business."
Posted by jz at October 23, 2005 04:01 PM