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Ales Hemsky scored a playoff goal for the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night. It was his first postseason marker since the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, meaning that for nearly a full decade Hemsky went without tallying a goal in the NHL postseason.

Ales Hemsky’s goal was his first in the playoffs since June 14, 2006 – Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. 9 years and 10 months ago. — Josh Bogorad (@JoshBogorad) April 21, 2016

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It’s a drought which carries with it at least two lessons about the Edmonton Oilers. One of those lessons is obvious and reflects on the past; one is less obvious and is highly important in the present.

First, the obvious: Edmonton has been a really bad team. Hemsky spent most of eight seasons after 2006 with the Oilers and never had a chance to play in a postseason game. The team’s performance over this span has been deeply embarrassing for pretty much everyone involved. And while anyone reading this undoubtedly appreciates that Edmonton has been bad in that span, a stat like “first playoff goal in a decade” is still a little jaw-dropping.

But there’s a second point, one which is less obvious but far more important for the current iteration of the franchise.