[!Nhan]

The Senators owe Heatley a $4 million signing bonus, to be paid on July 1 (today). The widely-held belief was that if the Senators didn't trade Heatley by July 1, or at midnight Tuesday night, they would be stuck paying it and the expenditure would drastically alter the dynamic of any Heatley trade and what the Senators expect to get in return.


That final decision has not been made because Heatley's agent, J.P. Barry, believed the actual deadline was at 11:59 p.m. eastern on Wednesday night, not 11:59 p.m. eastern on Tuesday night.

So the soap opera continues, and likely will for the better part of Canada Day and the NHL's annual free-agent frenzy.

All from TSN