Eric Belanger missed practice on Friday as he may be getting a sinus infection. Ales Hemsky has the same illness and missed practice as well although coach Tom Renney thinks both players will be a go on Saturday. Hemsky missed a couple of games before playing on Thursday. Belanger is having a poor offensive season with only one goal and 10 points in 36 games. He is not fantasy-worthy.

Eric Belanger is still sitting on one goal after 33 games this season. "I have to keep fighting and hopefully it'll turn around," he said. "Your mind's going a hundred miles an hour, but I can't be thinking too much out there. I'm trying to just play ... I've played for so many years. The game hasn't changed that much. You try to get back to the basics (skate, shoot and hopefully score?) and things will take care of themselves." He has 10 points on the year and owns an impressive 55.7 faceoff winning percentage on 454 draws.

Eric Belanger had a team-high four shots on goal in the Edmonton Oilers' 3-0 loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday night. The Oilers had averaged four goals per game over their last four, so chalk this one to a down night for the young group. Blueliner Tom Gilbert led the way in ice time with 23:46, and Shawn Horcoff paced the forwards with 20:50 and two penalty minutes. Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each finished the night a minus-two, with two shots on net, and finished scoreless for the first time in seven contests.

Eric Belanger netted his first goal of the season on Wednesday. Belanger might not be an offense force, but he's usually still good for about 10-15 goals and 30-40 points. We wouldn't be surprised if he goes on a bit of a hot streak now that he's ended the goal scoring slump that dates back to March 20th.

The Edmonton Oilers will use Eric Belanger in a lot of faceoff situations. The Oilers have finished last in faceoffs won the last two NHL seasons and brought in specialist Belanger in the off-season to help out. Shawn Horcoff is their other main faceoff man and Belanger's expertise will certainly help. "Now, it's not just one guy who has to win the key faceoffs," Belanger said. "As centers, we can push each other to be better as a team. It's such a key area during games because, if you're good at faceoffs, you're going to have posession of the puck." Look for Belanger to get second line minutes in Edmonton and score 40-45 points. Draft him accordingly.

Eric Belanger is hoping to feel at home in Edmonton and will now be wearing his seventh different NHL jersey since the lockout ended in 2005. Belanger turns 34 in December and has played 716 NHL games but this is his first kick at the can in a Canadian city. Where and how he is utilized on the ice is still a question that is up in the air, but that's for Oilers' coach Tom Renney to decide. Belanger has proven he's versatile while moving from team to team and is mostly known for his work in the faceoff circle. He should only be looked at in very deep leagues that use faceoffs as a scoring category.

The Edmonton Oilers have signed Eric Belanger to a three-year/$5.25 million contract. Belanger had 13 goals and 40 points for the Phoenix Coyotes last season. He could very well be a top-six forward for the Oilers to give them a veteran presence up front. Stay tuned.