Hemsky: Oilers young guns need to 'step up'

Senators winger Ales Hemsky, continually the good soldier while with the Edmonton Oilers, was asked by reporters Monday about how his former team was going to miss the playoffs for an eighth straight season.

He gave a pretty candid assessment.

"I don't even know if I want to get into it," he said, as relayed via The Ottawa Sun. "I don't know how to explain it. If somebody knew, they should step up and help them, but nobody figured it out yet. Maybe just the kids, they have to step up and lead the team to the playoffs. They've been there for a long time, and it's their time. They can't only blame older guys. They've got to lead the team to the playoffs, be leaders. That's probably the thing they have to learn.

"But they're all great guys, and I had a great time. Hopefully they'll turn it around and make the playoffs, because the people deserve it there."

Hemsky, incidentally, was non-committal on what he'll do this summer as a potential unrestricted free agent.

"It's not even worth it to talk about it right now."

Source: Don Brennan, Ottawa Sun