Injury Report: Chia: Sekera torn ACL - out 6-9 months

[Spawn]

I've become alot more okay with resigning Russell. This will take him out past first month of year (so not terrible) but won't train this summer so likely taking him a month to get back to speed. So 2/3 months of actual season missed

Out past the first month of the year would be on the early side of things. 9 months keeps him out until almost the trade deadline.

Could be a very significant loss. First 50 games or so of the year he was the best dman on the team. He's a legit #3. Hopefully 6 months opposed to 9.

 

[oXo Cube]

Does this change anything regarding expansion protection? Take a run at Tanev?

Sekera has a NMC and we would certainly protect him even if he didn't, so no.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Yeah it is unfortunate. But if there was ever a time to get a 6-9 month injury, its after playoffs and in offseason when you have 5 months of no hockey to miss. If its the full 9 thats terrible, if its 6 then basically TC, preseason and first 10 games will be missed

In a morbid way, this opens the door pretty wide for Reinhart to make the team out of training camp and becomes his make or break year. Hopefully he steps up and grabs his chance

I would assume he'll be back just before 2018, but probably not at his best. He won't be nearly as effective, especially with no TC.

 

[Diamondillium]

Are we really blaming the Ducks for this one? That was such a nothing play.

Anyway, happened at basically the worst possible time. Next season is pretty much a write off for him.

Exactly. I hate the Ducks right now too, but I don't blame them for this specific thing. I tore my ACL just by bending over funny. It's a weird part of the body.

 

[Stud Muffin]

Jeremy Roenick owes Sekera an apology.

What did he say?

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Jeremy Roenick owes Sekera an apology.

what did he say?

 

[SK13]

Going into the season with 2 top 4 D is asking for trouble. And there's little guarantee Sekera will be at peak performance when he returns.

Kris Russell isn't a top-4 defenseman and the fact that he played that role for us was one of the biggest roster problems throughout the year. The Oilers should have wanted an upgrade at 2RHD, but this injury to Sekera probably means he has to be re-signed and he has to play too much again.

They must now acquire a significant defenseman on-top of re-upping Kris Russell.

 

[Aceboogie]

Out past the first month of the year would be on the early side of things. 9 months keeps him out until almost the trade deadline.

Could be a very significant loss. First 50 games or so of the year he was the best dman on the team. He's a legit #3. Hopefully 6 months opposed to 9.

Personally I think GMs or coaches always say the injury is longer than it will actually be. Its much better to under promise and over deliver on timetables. Remember how Nurse came back super early when he was supposed to be out for much longer.

Id bet its closer to 5/6 months than 9. But then again I dont know much about ACL injuries. Just havent seen many ACL injuries for players take over 6 months. Wisniewski completely destroyed ACL and was out 6 months (well didnt get a NHL gig after but was ready). Anything over 6 months seems very drastic

 

[syz]

And suddenly the Oilers are back to needing 2 top 4 D by September.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Kris Russell isn't a top-4 defenseman and the fact that he played that role for us was one of the biggest roster problems throughout the year. The Oilers should have wanted an upgrade at 2RHD, but this injury to Sekera probably means he has to be re-signed and he has to play too much again.

They must now acquire a significant defenseman on-top of re-upping Kris Russell.

Unless Alzner is coming here I really doubt an upgrade is coming. At least Benning was good this year.

 

[CupofOil]

Oilers are due for one major injury a year. Atleast this one came end of season

They had no major injuries this year, one of the luckiest teams in the league injurywise at least when it comes to key injuries.

I see too much panic in this thread. They can get by without having Sekera for several months. It sucks but they can deal. The target was to add a top 4 Dman (puckmover) anyway and this doesn't change that goal.

 

[Del Preston]

What did he say?

He said the hit didn't look like much, he was skeptical of the injury being serious enough to put Sekera out for the series, and then pointed to his heart and said that's what the issue might be.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

They had no major injuries this year, one of the luckiest teams in the league injurywise at least when it comes to key injuries.

I see too much panic in this thread. They can get by without having Sekera for several months. It sucks but they can deal. The target was to add a top 4 Dman (puckmover) anyway and this doesn't change that goal.

Yeah but where does that come from? We're not steeped in pieces to give up for that.

 

[PaPaDee]

This sucks. Hopefully he ends up on the shorter end of that timeframe.

 

[Soundwave]

I think we'll be OK, Nurse/Benning will be ready for bigger minutes next year anyway.

Though a EDM 1st + Fayne for Mike Green might not be a bad idea now.


Klefbom Larsson
Russell Green
Nurse Benning

 

[Hemsky4PM]

I have no worries. We need a RHD anyway. Russell is still only signed if the term and $ make sense - 3 years at 3.3-3.5 mil.

I am pretty sure Chiarelli will pursue a RHD like Pysyk, Petrovic, Hamonic, Faulk, Trouba, Barrie, etc. this off season.

 

[SK13]

Unless Alzner is coming here I really doubt an upgrade is coming.

More than half the regular defenseman in the league are better than Kris Russell, so I doubt it's that hard or requires Karl Alzner.

It's not even a matter of upgrading. You can't go into the year with Klefbom-Larsson-Russell-Benning-Nurse and spare change. That team is one more injury from failing to clear 85 points. You need a body.

They had no major injuries this year, one of the luckiest teams in the league injurywise at least when it comes to key injuries.

I see too much panic in this thread. They can get by without having Sekera for several months. It sucks but they can deal. The target was to add a top 4 Dman (puckmover) anyway and this doesn't change that goal.

Disagreed completely.

The Oilers were lucky, and even an average dose of bad luck takes that team and shaves 15 points off of it WITH a healthy Andrej Sekera.

The Oilers needed to make roster moves to improve, and now it's a necessity unless you want to risk missing the playoffs outright.

 

[jlockhart89]

Sekera has a NMC and we would certainly protect him even if he didn't, so no.

I wonder IF, and this might be a stretch, the Oilers could approach Sekera about waiving his NMC just for the expansion draft to open up a "bonus" protection spot. I could be wrong, but I don't think Vegas would even entertain taking a guy who's out the first 3 months of the year, coming off a major injury, and with a pile of term left on there contract. They know the first half of the season will go a long way to building the long term interest of hockey in that market, if one of their best picks is out for awhile it could hurt the one ice results.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

More than half the regular defenseman in the league are better than Kris Russell, so I doubt it's that hard or requires Karl Alzner.

It's not even a matter of upgrading. You can't go into the year with Klefbom-Larsson-Russell-Benning-Nurse and spare change. That team is one more injury from failing to clear 85 points.

Russell is a fine stopgap. I don't see many available options especially since the Oilers have very little to offer other teams.

I'd like to think PC has a deal in his pocket but I think it's going to be a quiet free agency.

 

[Aceboogie]

They had no major injuries this year, one of the luckiest teams in the league injurywise at least when it comes to key injuries.

I see too much panic in this thread. They can get by without having Sekera for several months. It sucks but they can deal. The target was to add a top 4 Dman (puckmover) anyway and this doesn't change that goal.

Thats the point, they had no major injuries until this one. So this is your annual major injury

I do agree too much panic. Teams always exaggerate timetable. Hell be back start of November, 10 games in and be back to form start of Decemeber

intial injury news always creates way to much panic

 

[Glass Eyes]

Russell wants term. You can't sign him just because Sekera's hurt.

 

[Spawn]

Roenick said the hit didn't look like much, was skeptical of the injury, and then pointed to his heart and said that's what the issue might be with Sekera.

Lol. Reminds me of when thoresen blocked a shot for the flyers in the playoffs years ago and was in serious trouble on the ice and the caps scored when he was lying there. I think it was Glenn Healy who just ripped into him and said that he better need surgery or else there was no excuse for lying on the ice. Turns out he had ruptured one of his testicle.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Russell wants term. You can't sign him just because Sekera's hurt.

Then what's the option?

 

[Aceboogie]

Russell wants term. You can't sign him just because Sekera's hurt.

2 rules to signing Russell

1) Dont give him any sort of NMC/NTC
2) Sign him to any sort of AAV that can be traded for atleats a mid round pick next year (ie dont turn him into a cap dump from day 1).

Get his help next year and trade him for whatever year after

 

[CupofOil]

Yeah but where does that come from? We're not steeped in pieces to give up for that.

I don't know but I'm sure it's on Chia's shopping list.

The bottom line is that this isn't a devastating blow. If worse comes to worse, he comes back after the New Year so we're talking 3-4 months without Sekera worst case. Sekera is good but he's not irreplacable, others will just have to step up. If they lose McDavid, Talbot or to a lesser extent, Drai, then it's time to panic.

What does suck is that this gives Russell some added leverage and the worst thing to do would be to make a panicked long term Russell signing.