Sure, many people look at disgruntled Ottawa Senators winger Dany Heatley and see a one-dimensional player, but, as former Oilers assistant coach Rob Daum once said, "It's the most important dimension in the game."

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Canada's Dany Heatley (R) and Jason Spezza celebrate after scoring during their preliminary round group A game against Belarus, on the first day of IIHF Internetional Ice Hockey World Championship in Zurich on April 24, 2009.

Photograph by : Reuters

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Heatley scores goals, lots of them -- exactly 180 in 317 games over the past four seasons in Ottawa.

Which is why Edmonton Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini has undoubtedly given Senators counterpart Bryan Murray a buzz now that Heatley says he wants out of the nation's capital.

Heatley's decision to say he won't play for the Senators any longer has had the talk-show callers in Ottawa in a vicious mood, with many ripping him because he's only one year into a six-year contract. The Senators likely can't put the genie back in the bottle -- he's as good as gone, probably by the June 26 draft, when the best deal can be made.

The Oilers would likely only have two players they wouldn't move to get the 28-year-old Heatley -- right-winger Ales Hemsky and centre/winger Sam Gagner.

You can bet it's probably the same scenario with Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier, if the Oilers try to put together a package for him. Everyone else is in play, even defenceman Sheldon Souray, who had 23 goals and 53 points this season.

Murray isn't saying anything, but he would likely have to retrieve (a) a puck-moving defenceman to help Filip Kuba, Chris Campoli and young Swede Erik Karlsson, (b) a young top-six winger with a scoring touch, and (c) a first-round draft pick, probably in the top 10.

Murray will be looking for a home run in return for Heatley, who definitely is not a guy in the back nine of his career, but a good number of NHL teams have salary-cap issues, which complicates things.

As a comparison, the Oilers only managed to secure Joffrey Lupul, up-and-coming defenceman Ladislav Smid and first-round draft picks for Chris Pronger in 2006, when he was at the top of his game and demanded a trade out of Edmonton.

The Oilers can't talk about Heatley because he's not their property, but he's exactly what they need.

"I would say Ottawa needs two wingers to make up for the loss of Heatley," said an NHL executive, who didn't want his named used, but who has followed the Senators closely.

"This guy just loves scoring goals. ... He's a pure talent. He can play under pressure, too. I don't think going to another Canadian city would bother him." Heatley had 39 goals last season, and that was an off-year for him.

Murray will likely have to take back at least $5 million in player salaries, because few NHL teams will be able to swallow Heatley's $7.5-million salary-cap hit for the next five seasons, especially since the cap is expected to fall below $50 million in 2010. His salary is $8 million for the next three years and $5 million in 2014-15.

Heatley, who has a summer place in Kelowna, has reportedly let it be known he'd like to play on a Western Conference team. Other than Detroit, which has serious cap issues and is trying to re-sign Marian Hossa, every other team would be interested in Heatley.

Not everybody has salary cap wiggle room, however. The Oilers, who went hard to sign Hossa last summer when he was a free agent, can make room for Heatley if they dump some salary.

The Oilers only had one forward, Hemsky, who played the whole season in Edmonton and managed 20 or more goals. Twenty teams scored more than the Oilers' measly output of 60 goals on the power play, where Heatley has 68 goals himself in the last four seasons.

The Oilers have had only one superstar, Pronger, since Mark Messier left.

They need a marquee player, and Heatley would certainly fill the bill. He is a game-breaker who has two 50-goal seasons, two of 41 and last season's 39.

The Oilers have four offensive-minded blue-liners -- Souray, Lubomir Visnovsky,

Tom Gilbert and Denis Grebeshkov. Souray and Visnovsky are both over 30 and make $5.4 million and $5.6 million, respectively.

Gilbert, who is only 26 and has four years left on a contract that pays him $4 million a season, might be the most attractive bait.

If the Senators want a left-winger, Patrick O'Sullivan is priced right ($2.9 million), and he's only 23. They would probably be looking at centre Andrew Cogliano, too. He had 18 goals, with little power-play time.

If the Senators want another good first-round draft pick this June to go with their No. 9 selection, the Oilers could be in trouble. They pick 10th.

Los Angeles, which also has lots of assets, picks fifth. The Kings could entice the Senators with winger Alexander Frolov or Dustin Brown and defenceman Jack Johnson, and maybe flip picks with the Senators.

"Hey, the team down the road in Calgary could get Heatley if they'd trade (Dion) Phaneuf," said an NHL executive.

jmatheson@thejournal.canwest.com