Nailing Hemmer to the cross

Despite being known as one of the leagues most dynamic offensive players it looks as if Ales Hemsky's injury-prone history, poor start to the seaosn and seemingly poor attitude towards media will see him shipped out of Edmonton come trade deadline day (Monday, Feb. 27).

Earlier this week Hemsky abruptly cut short a media scrum involving the Edmonton Journal's and Hall of Fame sports writer, Jim Matheson. Matheson has always been a stark supporter of Hemsky but like the fans, his attitudes towards Hemmer have soured.

In his latest column/blog, Matheson is spot on in saying that Hemsky "absolutely has to be a leader at a time when the Oilers are teetering on being a playoff possibility or falling out."

SEE: (http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2011/12/28/hemsky-is-doing-himself-no-favours/)

Ales says his shoulders are fine. I doubt that. I doubt they ever will be. And it's this injury speculation that further drives trade speculations in the media.

It's about selling papers

I understand Hemsky COULD be traded and that he MIGHT not sign a favourable contract with the Oilers upon seasons end, but it's not our job to speculate and it's certainly not our job to bring up speculations with players.

But somewhere along the line this is what sports reporting has become. More of a tabloid, celebrity-style of news telling.

Will Ales Hemsky get traded? Most likely, but the trade deadline is two months away. What if he puts up 20 points in 15 games? What if he turns the page? What if, what if, what if.

We could speculate what the return on his trade would be but do we know? No. We could speculate whether he will or will not re-sign at the end of the year for less than what he's making now (surely he can't demand more), but we don't know.

Let him play his game

I look at Hemsky and I see (a less strong) Marian Hossa in Chicago. Once a first line star turned second-liner but still an integral piece to the Blackhawks winning the cup behind Toews, Kane and Sharp (or in Edmonton's case RNH, Eberle, Hall.)

If Hemsky were to train his body this summer (I hear Gary Roberts has a fantastic training program, wink, wink), build some muscle and return to putting up 60-70 points a year alongside the kids than this Oilers team has a legitimate shot at going places.

The Oilers need some help on the back-end before that will ever become a reality but unless a trade with Hemsky can warrant a strong d-man in return (which most would agree he wouldn't) than why trade him?

There's no way Tambellini gets a Dustin Penner-style return and the Oilers really have no one to replace Hemsky (Omark, maybe). Perhaps a package of picks and Sam Gagner could warrant a stronger return? But who knows?

Again, it's all speculation.

Trading Hemsky seems like the right thing to do and for all I know it is. But mark my words, if he moves onto another team and lights it up the following season or even in the latter stages of this season, Oilers fans will cry foul, and it will do nothing but turn that scrutinizing speculation to Tambellini or Renney or maybe, God forbid, the media for pushing out another otherwise talented player to succeed elsewhere.

Now where have we heard that story?