Ales Hemsky has six games remaining as a member of the Edmonton Oilers. Like many fine men who've gone before him, he is being ushered out of town on a rail, fingered by the media as the reason for the current state of the team, celebrated by the fans as the move that will land the lynchpin of the turnaround.
His experience prior to his departure matches that of a long list of very good players, including Jason Arnott, Kyle Brodziak, Mike Comrie, Janne Niinimaa, Dustin Penner, Joni Pitkanen, Miroslav Satan, Ryan Smyth Sheldon Souray and many more. The only difference in Hemsky's ride out of town is that it took so long to get to this point.
Hemsky will move on to a team who will better appreciate his skill and better appreciate that acquiring and keeping good players is the only way to leave the wilderness. The Oilers will celebrate their return of some combination of young players and draft picks who, if blessed with a tremendous amount of luck, will have some small percentage of a chance to turn out as good as Ales Hemsky. In the future, fans will decry their rotten luck that yet another bum traded away has become a good player and will screech when he scores a game-winner, or posts a multi-point game against the Oilers.
The man who grew from slick-passing, jaw-droppingly skilled offensive winger into a tough minutes beater in front of our eyes has 15 days left as an Oiler. Six games. Enjoy them.
Que Sera Sera - Oil On Whyte
But what if this team moves Ales Hemsky: a pretty damn good hockey player (and a guy on the last year of his contract which screams Rental Player), for a pick? That’s a side salad with imitation bacon bits. IMITATION BACON BITS HERE, PEOPLE.
Eleven Years of Pestilence - mc79hockey.com
It seems pretty likely that we are seeing the last days of Ales Hemsky in an Oilers jersey. The whole thing is playing out as it always does, with increasingly emboldened media members smelling blood and getting their shots in on Hemsky. Just like they did with Sheldon Souray. Just like they did with Ryan Smyth. Just like they did with Anson Carter. We aren’t even back into the 20th century yet, but you get the idea. Long time Oilers leaving town has certain rituals that must be observed. It’s Northern Alberta’s version of seppuku, only with generally honourable people being disembowelled.
Eleven Years of Pestilence, II - mc79hockey.com
The complete list of Czech players who have a higher pts/gm than Ales Hemsky’s 0.79 in the last three years, minimum 100 GP: Patrik Elias.
Sure, Oilers should trade Hemsky, Gagner, and replace them with...magic beans? - Cult of Hockey
Make no mistake, the 28-year-old Hemsky is having a rotten season in 2011-12 as he attempts to bounce back from another major shoulder surgery. His scoring rates, which have consistently hovered around 0.9 points per (healthy) game since the lockout, have plummeted to barely a point every other game, while his plus/minus has taken a bashing after three years in the black. He’s sulking, some say, unhappy playing second banana behind the Young Gunz who have replaced him on the first powerplay unit and in the hearts of fans.
Chaos - Black Dog Hates Skunks
In any case they will soon get their wish and its probable that Hemsky, freed from the sinkhole that this franchise has become, goes on to star for another half dozen years. The team will be weaker, again, because no prospect or pick is going to be better than Hemsky is right now and may never be.
G54 Oilers at Red Wings - Lowetide
I look forward to watching this team, mostly because Eberle and Hall do things other Oiler phenoms couldn’t do over the years. Sam Gagner has either turned a corner or peaked, and these are the last days of the Hemsky era and when it ends it’ll be forever. I know he’s the first off the ice at practice, but for me the actual games are what counts and since his arrival the Pardubice Prince has entertained and amazed.
Say goodbye to Hemsky Oil fans - Jeanshorts And Baggedmilk
From what my source told me "There is absolutely no way he will be an Oiler after the deadline."
Tambellini Botched the Hemsky Situation - Oil Acumen
In the past I've been quick to point out that not all of the problems with the Oilers are the result of Tambellini's work in Edmonton, but the way Ales Hemsky has been handled is unquestionably a glaring wart on the General Manager's resume. Hemsky's play of late hasn't made things easy, but regardless of that there were better options.
Ales Hemsky: Get What You Can - OilersNation
I'm going to resist the urge to kick a player when he's down and pile on Hemsky with the people who are willing to drive him city limits just to get him gone. People, including those in the media, have a habit of turning on players when they're on the way out. Not fair.