Looks like Hemsky will return to the Oilers

It still makes sense that Hemsky will find a better fit and a trade will happen…

If we put two and two together from Oilers GM Craig MacTavish’s interview with sports radio podcaster Brad Bartko, it looks like Ales Hemsky might just be an Edmonton Oilers hockey player in 2013-14 after all.

To recap, MacTavish made it sound in the interview like he was done making major moves this summer. When asked specifically if he might move Hemsky, MacTavish told Bartko that Hemsky had gone through what Shawn Horcoff went through, seven years of losing.  “That can at times really pick away at a player’s spirit and his passion, and really his ability to believe that our team is going to get ourselves out of it, because it’s been seven years really of some negative reinforcement. So it can be difficult. It’s certainly not something that cannot be overcome by the player or our organization. But when you haven’t won you’re going to try to make some changes and whether Ales will be part of that remains to be seen.”

It sounds like MacTavish wants to move Hemsky — and it’s a solid bet that Hemsky is open to moving on as well — but that no deal has yet materialized and that MacTavish is getting his head around working with Hemsky to “overcome” and have the Czech winger back on the squad.

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2013/07/15/so-does-this-mean-ales-hemsky-is-an-oilers-forward-in-2013-14/