Sharks' Rob Blake says Dany Heatley is a good fit
Among the biggest off-season trades was the deal that sent left wing Dany Heatley from Ottawa to San Jose, giving the already powerful Sharks another gifted scorer.
But will the two-time 50-goal scorer be able to supply the heart and guts that the Sharks have lacked in the playoffs over the last few years?
We won't know for sure until April. For now, according to veteran defenseman Rob Blake -- the Sharks' captain -- Heatley seems happy with linemates Joe Thornton and Devin Setoguchi and is adjusting to a new team and new conference. Kings fans will get to see Heatley, Blake and the rest of the Sharks when they face the Kings tonight at Staples Center.
"He's been good for us," Blake said Monday. "He's a guy that can give us those goals at key times, like in a tie game or a goal that puts a game out of reach."
Heatley's trade request was the second of his career. Seeking a fresh start, he asked out of Atlanta in 2005, two years after he was the driver in a high-speed car accident that killed teammate Dan Snyder. Heatley pleaded guilty to four counts of vehicular homicide and was sentenced to three years' probation.
He wanted to leave Ottawa because he said his role had been diminished by Coach Cory Clouston.
He's on the Sharks' first line now, and Blake says he's fitting in well.
"He made a decision, and unfortunately for him it became public," Blake said of Heatley's trade request. "We've welcomed him."
More on the Sharks and Kings later at latimes.com/sports.
-- Helene Elliott
Photo: Dany Heatley. Credit: Christian Petersen / Getty Images
