The Fourth Period :: Edmonton Oilers :: Hemsky, Penner attracting interest

January 20, 2011 // 11:15am ET
Hemsky, Penner attracting interest
TheFourthPeriod.com

Oilers wingers Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner have attracted plenty of interest from playoff contenders, giving Edmonton GM Steve Tambellini much to ponder.

According to various published reports, the Oilers could deal at least one of the two offensive forwards before the Feb. 28 trade deadline.

Hemsky, however, suffered a concussion in Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Wild and could be out of action for an extended period of time.

The Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers are among the teams campaigning for a first- or second-line scorer. It's believed all three teams have spoken with the Oilers this season.

In 32 games so far this season, Hemsky has registered nine goals and 20 assists, while Penner has picked up 14 goals and 15 assists in 45 games.

Meanwhile, the Oilers could also end up dealing away defenseman Jim Vandermeer and right wing Ryan Jones before the deadline. Both players are in the final year of their respective contracts and can become unrestricted free agents this summer.

Hemsky and Penner each have one-year left on their contracts beyond this season.

[ From the Editor ]
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