If misery loves company, Blue Jackets fans should bundle up and visit Alberta.

The Edmonton Oilers have lost 12 straight games and are 1-17-2 since Dec. 11, cruising in a straight line to the worst record in the NHL.

It prompted coach Pat Quinn to say recently: "We've taken so many rights that we're begging for a left."

It's only marginally better 170 miles south in Calgary, where the Flames -- picked by many as Stanley Cup contenders -- have lost nine in a row and fallen out of the top eight in the Western Conference.

The Oilers and Flames met last night in Calgary, the first time in 21 seasons that two NHL clubs with losing streaks of nine or more games met in a game. Too bad there aren't ties anymore, eh?

Of the two situations, Edmonton's looks bleaker.

The Oilers are bogged down by bad contracts -- none worse than center Shawn Horcoff, who provides a $5.5 million salary-cap hit for the next five seasons. He's making $7 million this season and has 20 points and a minus-24 rating. He got booed by the home crowd the other night -- after being credited with an assist.

Defenseman Sheldon Souray is for sale, but he won't be easy to unload, thanks to his $5.4 million cap hit through 2012.

In the salary-cap world of the NHL, the Oilers could be down for a while.

Meanwhile, Calgary's support of Sutter hockey appears to be wavering, with many wondering if general manager Darryl Sutter and coach Brent Sutter -- they're brothers -- should be running the show.

The Flames are said to be shopping defenseman Dion Phaneuf, hoping to better balance a roster that's blue-line heavy and thin up front.

When Darryl Sutter called his team an "elite" NHL club last week, the locals were boiling.

His response to the outcry: "I don't really care what you think, to tell you the truth. I'm not sure those are (real) fans, and I'm not so sure any of the media are fans, so it doesn't really matter."

Penguins want Umberger?

The Blue Jackets have had trade talks with Pittsburgh regarding winger Raffi Torres, whom they are almost certain to move before the March 3 trade deadline. Best guess is the Jackets are seeking a second-round draft pick.

But the Penguins would like to shoot higher than Torres. Buzz around the NHL is they're planning to take a run at Blue Jackets forward R.J. Umberger, who grew up in the Pittsburgh suburb of Plum.

The Penguins want a long-term solution at wing, not an annual rent-a-winger.

If they re-sign defenseman Sergei Gonchar, they might be willing to part with defenseman Kris Letang, a restricted free agent this summer.

The Blue Jackets have no choice but to overvalue Umberger, who has become the conscience of the dressing room. If Umberger and Torres are taken out of the mix, the Jackets would be the Tin Man.

But what if the Penguins offered Letang and a first-round pick?

Slap shots

It's almost certain that Atlanta will be trading star winger Ilya Kovalchuk before he walks away this summer as an unrestricted free agent. Look at the offensive talent that has fled the Thrashers during their decade in the league: Marian Hossa, Dany Heatley, Marc Savard and now, likely, Kovalchuk. The Detroit Red Wings expect winger Johan Franzen back before the Olympic break, and there's still a chance that Team Sweden could call on him as an injury replacement. Wings fans are grousing about that one, as Detroit is in a fight just to make the playoffs.

aportzline@dispatch.com