"These are the dog days if you're looking for a hockey fix, but the fan message boards are full of crazy Ales Hemsky trade rumours to the Montreal Canadiens.

That's like fantasizing that you might get a date with Halle Berry. Not a chance.

"Hemmer's a guy you build your team around," said Edmonton Oilers assistant general manager Kevin Prendergast, who laughed heartily at the mention of Hemsky's name in any trade talks.

It's a one-sided flirtation by Montreal, if there's any truth to it at all, according to Prendergast.

"I don't think you'd consider anybody an untouchable these days but the deal would have to blow our socks off to get him out of here," Prendergast said. "I'd be in shock (if Hemsky was ever moved). We have talked to Montreal about other things, but it was not about moving any of our players.

"Who are we supposed to be getting for Hemmer, anyway?" he asked.

The message boards say the Canadiens might be dangling forward Chris Higgins, defenceman P.K. Subban, a member of Canada's world junior team last year, and another roster player. And, defenceman Denis Grebeshkov's name has been talked about going to Montreal, too.

Again, not likely.

"If you've seen Hemmer lately, working out, all the baby fat is gone. He looks great," said Prendergast.

Hemsky is the Oilers' most talented player, with 71 points in 74 games last season. He might have had 80 to 85 points if he hadn't been bothered by a sore wrist for weeks and couldn't move the puck like he normally does, although he had Colorado captain Joe Sakic talking in superlatives after a virtuoso effort at Rexall Place in a wild Oilers late-season win over the Avalanche.

Hemsky, who turned 25 last week, is also tied up for another four years at a very comfortable salary cap hit of $4.1 million a season.

That alone should make all talk of a Hemsky trade moot."