WHAT IF THEY RE-SIGNED HEMSKY?

Crazy thought. NEVER HAPPEN! And yet…..if a team has possession of a player’s contract and that player’s value is greater to said team than what is being offered in trade? What then? What DO you do?

Ales Hemsky is a different player than he was in 2005-06. The Oilers have their new Jacks and Kings for the feature jobs and a $5M per year contract for 83 is in the rear-view mirror.

So what?

Hemsky isn’t 90 years old, he’s got plenty of track left in him. The man has endured the bad times in Edmonton, why not hang around for the good days? If the Edmonton Oilers and Craig MacTavish are looking for useful NHL players to fit around their dream skilled men, why not Ales?

This is from Extra Skater, and indicates Hemsky’s 5×5 Corsi for is above average on the Oilers this season. The offense is hovering around .5 points per game and he’s been playing most with Boyd Gordon, Sam Gagner and Ryan Smyth.

He’s scoring well considering where he’s batting in the lineup.

The Oilers are no doubt going to add some more Hendricks and Fraser’s, but that doesn’t mean they’ll carry only size and physicality in the bottom six. Besides, if someone gets hurt among Hall, Yakupov, Eberle and Perron then 83 can slide up the depth chart with aplomb.

Actually, he isn’t. Hemsky isn’t going to run over people, but he drives to the hard areas with the puck and doesn’t back away from physical contact. It isn’t his game, which is why the Oilers need to add more Grier’s and Moreau’s. Todd Marchant roamed happily between those two for years.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

The Oilers can’t afford to get 50 cents on the dollar in trade and they can’t afford to keep sending away actual NHL players for futures. Their cup does not runneth over with qualified NHL veterans.

Signing Ales Hemsky may well be the smart move here.