Oilers GM MacTavish: Ales Hemsky is "off the market"

Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish and forward Ales Hemsky met with the media Wednesday morning, and MacTavish told reporters that Hemsky is "off the market," and will remain in Edmonton. 

As far as the Oilers are concerned, the Hemsky issue -- will he stay, will he go? -- is over. Hemsky's staying, and he and the club are moving forward, and preparing for what is hopefully a winning season in Edmonton.

MacTavish acknowledged that Hemsky never asked to be traded, and that he the skilled forward met at the end of last season to discuss Hemsky's future. 

MacTavish wants Hemsky to be a part of Edmonton's turnaround, and Hemsky, who at 30 is one of the older Oilers, is looking forward to the challenge. 

MacTavish wouldn't go into details about whether he came close to trading Hemsky, or what the market for his services were. The focus now is on the coming season, and that's it.

Hemsky's been an Oiler for his entire 10-year career. He was drafted 13th overall in 2001, and has often struggled to stay healthy. Only once has he played 80 or more games, in 2005-2006, which was statistically his best season.

Hemsky's production dipped in the past two seasons. He had 36 points in 69 games in 2011-2012, and 20 points in last year's shortened season.

But Hemsky and the Oilers are done living in the past. It's all about the future now. 

Perhaps it's not goodbye, but see you later. 

Hemsky's in the final year of his contract, earning $5 million. He'll be an unrestricted free agent next summer. 

Finally, if you're interested in watching Wednesday's presser, you can do so on the Oilers' website.