SportsUSA and Canada: Hockey: Oilers team in development

Ron Kuipers:  Detroit doesn't rush young players like the Oilers [NHL Edmonton, Alberta, Canada] do, so I'm not as worried as you are about creating roster spots for developing talent. One of the only bright spots this year is that the Oilers seem to have finally established a decent player development system in OKC. Wherever you place the age cluster, the team will need veterans. If you re-sign [Ales] Hemsky for a decent rate, you get a better player, one who can play now, then you will in any trade. The ship may have sailed on Hemsky, and maybe he needs to be somewhere else to get his mojo back. But the list of players who took a long time to recover from shoulder surgery but went on to have productive seasons is significant. Things we can't know, like 'Is he a good mentor?' would be highly relevant to this decision.

 

NUMBER: 83 HEIGHT: 6' 0" WEIGHT: 185 SHOOTS: RIGHT BORN: 13 AUG 1983  (AGE 28) BIRTHPLACE: PARDUBICE, CZECH REPUBLIC

Ron:  Michael, re-reading your post I realize you are suggesting getting an asset but then re-signing Hemsky in July. If that could happen, of course its better. Keep Hemsky plus get some stuff. The problem is that I have never seen this happen. Once the player is gone they are usually gone. People said the same thing about Smytty when he left. If he didn't come back that July, wat makes us think Hemsky would?

Michael:  I can only go by what I see on the few Saturday nights that I get to watch the Oilers play. Maybe he's playing hurt (like whitney and others), but he is not his dynamic self who could at least create opportunities even when they don't get completed. But maybe that's a reason not to trade him, we wouldn't get much for him right now anyway.


Ron: I for one don't question Hemsky's commitment to the team, and think all the negative talk lately has been planted by management into the everyready major sports media mouthpieces (Matheson, I'm looking at you), because they wanted to move him long ago and just want the fans to be onside when they inevitably get fleeced. But hey they might get a draft pick who might become a decent player who they can then trade again for future considerations and we can spend every spring wondering how high our draft pick is gonna be.


Michael: Ah, but that's just it, Ron. As far as I can see, Hemmer isn't playing much of a mentor role, he's not only fighting this year, he's dogging it. I'd be happy to be wrong about this of course and defer to the infallible wisdom of Oilers management who have never made any foolish trades or overpaid any underperformers. I suppose it all depends on Hemsky's price. They'll need cap space in a few years to resign the young guys when they're RFAs and hopefully to pull in a top pair defenceman.


Ron:  Completely agree about his play. My original point is that his value is at an all time low, so seeing as you won't get much, keep him and then there is at least an even chance for a comeback season a la Marian Hossa. That would still be useful to a young, rebuilding team. Oilers need to sell high. Like, they might be able to move Khabibulin's contract now.  ... But they're going to move in, there is not doubt in my mind. I just think it is a mistake.


Michael:  I too would be happier to move Khabibulin than Hemsky, though I'm not yet totally convinced that Dubnyk is ready to be no. 1 yet. Except that, leaving out the hot start, he's been as good or better than Bulin. Fixing goalie problems is even harder and longer than fixing defense problems.

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— Text: Ron Kuipers, Toronto, and Michael Nyhof-DeMoor on Facebook
— Picture and stats: NHL.com

— All materials reposted here by Sportikos

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