Ales Hemsky is “off the market,” according to Edmonton general manager Craig MacTavish.
“We want (Ales) to come in and make an impression,” MacTavish said today. “We want him to play a prominent role.”
The above marks a change in direction when it comes to Hemsky and the Oilers. In June, MacTavish strongly suggested the 30-year-old, along with captain Shawn Horcoff, would be traded this offseason.
While Horcoff was indeed dealt (to Dallas), Hemsky remains. And so does his contract, with one year remaining on it and a cap hit of $5 million.
In 2013, Hemsky had 20 points in 38 games while averaging just 15:42 of ice time. Whether he sees more ice under new head coach Dallas Eakins remains to be seen; the Oilers will have no shortage of talented wingers competing for top-six minutes, including Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, David Perron, and Nail Yakupov.
"I'm happy to be back and I just want to help this team turn things around. I want to be a leader and help the young guys." - Hemsky
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 4, 2013
"I don't want to get into any details." Answer from Craig MacTavish on if he was close to dealing Ales Hemsky.
— Gene Principe (@GenePrincipe) September 4, 2013
Related: MacTavish ‘comfortable’ with Hemsky remaining an Oiler