The Case For Buying Out Andrei Sekera

[rockinghockey]

You don’t buy him out this year, I see him bouncing back next year. The only way I buy him out is if he is around during the e passion draft. If that is the case I would buyout Skera, Rissel and Lucic if they are all here then.
Does anyone know if we have to protect these three during the expansion draft as I know their NMC changes

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I've never been a fan. I really don't understand what his game is. I like defenders to be strong and capable of moving traffic, steering guys away from the net and winning pucks. Sekera just has been none of these things. What he is seems to be a D that has occasional hands that entice people to believe he's something better than he is. What does he actually do well? I don't have a bead on this player. I don't understand his game.

If his contract was a few years shorter I'd like the signing a lot more.

How many times have we said that about the current Oilers?

 

[Drivesaitl]

I think he was highly touted in hindsight because we were so desperate for anything better than the “Oiler average”.

Well you know I don't cheer nothing additions to the club for the sake of it. The 5.5M and term was to me even stranger. Like the Lucic contract there was no way this was going to be value. That said I have a pretty intense dislike for Defenders I perceive as soft. I like aggression in the position.

 

[thalegion]

I think this is the offseason you buy out Russell not Sekera. Especially with expansion coming and that awful NMC

 

[DavidHasselhoffsFist]

I think this is the offseason you buy out Russell not Sekera. Especially with expansion coming and that awful NMC

You do realize Russell is currently playing better then Sekera and that NMC can be waived and to this day there is no expansion draft coming

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I think I said this earlier, but I think you could still trade Sekera somewhere that needs a veteran defenseman and could bank on him bouncing back to a previous level of play. The return would be light, but it would seem doable. Also 2 of his final 3 years are the he gets paid less then the cap hit.

 

[shoop]

Does anyone know if we have to protect these three during the expansion draft as I know their NMC changes

Nobody can know. Gotta have an expansion team announced before we know the rules of the next expansion draft.

It's pretty obvious that the rules for Vegas expansion were skewed to the generous side. I'd suspect the rules of the next expansion draft, whenever it happens, won't be quite so generous.

 

[McIce Whole]

I've never been a fan. I really don't understand what his game is. I like defenders to be strong and capable of moving traffic, steering guys away from the net and winning pucks. Sekera just has been none of these things. What he is seems to be a D that has occasional hands that entice people to believe he's something better than he is. What does he actually do well? I don't have a bead on this player. I don't understand his game.

This taken from his bio;

Bio

Andrej Sekera Bio

As NHL defensemen go, Sekera is not easy to define.
He plays an all-around game and is too skilled to be labeled either a stay-at-home defenseman, a puck-mover or a shutdown presence.
A left-handed shot, the 6-foot, 198-pound Sekera can play on the right or left side. He's not overly physical or flashy, just effective

I think that’s just it. He’s not flashy or overly skilled in one particular area, he’s just overall an effective dmen that brings a good two way game and can put up 30+ points from the backend.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I think that’s just it. He’s not flashy or overly skilled in one particular area, he’s just overall an effective dmen that brings a good two way game and can put up 30+ points from the backend.

Tom Gilbert had a 46pt season here on a team that didn't have anything like Draisaitl or McD on it. 30 pts is chopped chicken feed on a team with generational talents on it.

Sekera is absolutely useless, just terrible on the PP and a large reason why our PP doesn't work. He's not a PMD or our top scorers would get more points.

He's not a particularly good pk.

What is he good at, what does he do well?


Whenever I ask something like that its "whoa he was great last year, best D on the team'' Except if the thread was titled Klefbom the comments would be as identical, and as vague, and that he's just injured this season and not himself.

Again I don't speak Sekera but 2/3 seasons here he has been pretty meh. I don't think he was anything great last season either.


It just seems odd that all the comments in appraisal of this player is that he's "effective" and without denoting anything that he is effective at.


Its like saying a player is "really good" without delineating at what.

I don't get the "he's too skilled to be defined" either. Ethan Bear has shown me more skill and talent in a brief stint than Sekera has ever shown here. Almost every game Bear makes an exciting play. What skill is evident in Sekera's game? Overhandling the puck and getting caught? Its all I got.

 

[thalegion]

Nobody can know. Gotta have an expansion team announced before we know the rules of the next expansion draft.

It's pretty obvious that the rules for Vegas expansion were skewed to the generous side. I'd suspect the rules of the next expansion draft, whenever it happens, won't be quite so generous.

Presently Russell (our 5th best d man) is better than Sekera at what appears to be 60-70% healthy and that is only because he can actually move. Russell = Tire Fire

 

[Frank the Tank]

One has to give Sekera a proper off-season to return to his typical training regime after undergoing major knee surgery last summer.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Presently Russell (our 5th best d man) is better than Sekera at what appears to be 60-70% healthy and that is only because he can actually move. Russell = Tire Fire

Kris Russell's "issues" are more of "you" issues.

 

[Chet Manley]

A big part of last season's success was Klefbom, Larsson, and Sekera. Sekera turned Russel into a top4 guy. First decent group of defenceman in a decade resulting in something worthy of our fanatic devotion. Not having those 3 healthy is what tanked this season, good chance that healthy versions of them are what will help fix next season.

 

[McFlash97]

Sekera is done. Old , bad injury, league has gotten much faster over the course of the last 2 seasons and isn't slowing down. 5.5 million on Sekera doesn't sound too good right about now. The guy is done. You can't expect a 32 year old to get much better then where he is at. He might improve his lateral movement, but the stick handling, defensive gaffes, and being too slow and predictable is not a good recipe for a top 3.

 

[Supermassive]

One has to give Sekera a proper off-season to return to his typical training regime after undergoing major knee surgery last summer.

Hell yeah. Give him some actual rest and rehab and a fresh start, he'll lead the second pairing next year.
He was awesome last year, he can do it again.

 

[King1s]

I find it very amusing that there is a thread about buying out both of the big fa signings of our glorius mastermind.

 

[Stoneman89]

You don’t buy him out this year, I see him bouncing back next year. The only way I buy him out is if he is around during the e passion draft. If that is the case I would buyout Skera, Rissel and Lucic if they are all here then.
Does anyone know if we have to protect these three during the expansion draft as I know their NMC changes

Or they could buy out Sekera, Russell and Lucic. I would keep Skera and Rissel - they don't cost much at all.

 

[ujju2]

Waita year and then trade him. Or see if he'll accept a trade now.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Sekera is done. Old , bad injury, league has gotten much faster over the course of the last 2 seasons and isn't slowing down. 5.5 million on Sekera doesn't sound too good right about now. The guy is done. You can't expect a 32 year old to get much better then where he is at. He might improve his lateral movement, but the stick handling, defensive gaffes, and being too slow and predictable is not a good recipe for a top 3.

The thing is ACL injuries at age 32 don't get back to 100% in a lot of cases. Even in the case of elite athletes post substantive ligament damage its never going to be the same in the joint and usually theres other stuff, meniscal tears, scarring, some cartilage damage, arthritis pain etc. That he's playing with a knee brace a full year after the injury is some serious indication of how slowly its improving. He could have laxity in the joint, be prone to hyperextenstion etc. He might find that he needs a sports brace for a long time. A lot of times the effects are psychological as well. For a long time after major knee injuries you don't trust the joint, don't trust full extension, torqueing it, etc. For years you feel its going to give out even if you've done extensive rehabbing ( I have)


Unfortunately I've had a lot of knee injuries and to both knees. Not fun. But then again I couldn't imagine being an elite athlete on damaged knees. Knees, hips, are some of the most unforgivable injuries and compounded as you suffer them later in life. Reality is Sekera will probably always have some trouble with that knee joint. Once you have these kinds of injuries you have to work out the joints and build and keep strength in the ligaments the rest of your life. Get lazy and the knees will deteriorate a lot faster to the point even of crippling condition.

 

[Aerrol]

I never understood this signing. He was so highly touted by hf fans here when it was announced.

Myself I thought he was not strong enough to be immensely effective in the tougher WC.

Also people were trumping up his offensive verve and what he could do with the puck. The same hilite was shown multiple times wehre Sekera once in his career has the puck for 20 secs and it results in a goal.. People were talking him up like he could be another "just what we need'' defender. He was a PMD, would help on the PP, was way smart defensively...

Another brutal contract that I always wondered about. This guy looks old and slow and not interested in the physicality of the WC.

3 more years of this crap? my lord, Benning might be better.

Did you forget how he played last year? Sure, he had problems with elevating the puck and getting it on net, but his shiftiness in the offensive zone and puck moving were the best on the team and crucial to the team's success last year. Klef had a harder shot but Sekera was easily the best passer on the team, and much more reliable defensively. IMO was our best player on D last year by a decent margin. Larsson better defensively, but far worse offensively, Klefbom arguably similar offensively, far worse defensively.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Did you forget how he played last year? Sure, he had problems with elevating the puck and getting it on net, but his shiftiness in the offensive zone and puck moving were the best on the team and crucial to the team's success last year. Klef had a harder shot but Sekera was easily the best passer on the team, and much more reliable defensively. IMO was our best player on D last year by a decent margin. Larsson better defensively, but far worse offensively, Klefbom arguably similar offensively, far worse defensively.

Disagree. I don't think he was that integral or all that great. Certainly not a better D than Larsson in anyway. Nothing in his play either suggests elite offensive support ability. Its fair to say that prior to Nurse and Bear developing their offensive potential that Sekera might be the best offensive D option. He certainly isn't going forward.

Offensively Sekera was about as frustrating to me as a player like Letestu. Pretty meh on both and could care less about ever having either on the club.

Like I said though I like my D strong and physical in the WC. Sekera is weak and more suited to EC.

 

[Aerrol]

Disagree. I don't think he was that integral or all that great. Certainly not a better D than Larsson in anyway. Nothing in his play either suggests elite offensive support ability. Its fair to say that prior to Nurse and Bear developing their offensive potential that Sekera might be the best offensive D option. He certainly isn't going forward.

Offensively Sekera was about as frustrating to me as a player like Letestu. Pretty meh on both and could care less about ever having either on the club.

Like I said though I like my D strong and physical in the WC. Sekera is weak and more suited to EC.

He was so integral that the defence immediately fell apart when he went down in the playoffs. Not sure how that's arguable.

 

[Drivesaitl]

He was so integral that the defence immediately fell apart when he went down in the playoffs. Not sure how that's arguable.

C'mon. Sekera was injured EARLY in game 5, first period. So that he didn't really play in that game. Ducks won the game 4-3 in double OT. The score at the time of Sekera injury was 0-0.

Game 6 we slaughtered Ducks 7-1.

Game 7 was 2-1.

None of this is remotely consistent with the team "falling apart defensively". It is much more consistent with a playoff savvy team being able to come out ahead in the crunch against a team that were playoff virgins.

Heres another interesting point. In the two games of the series subsequent to the Sekera injury the Oilers allowed 3 goals. In the two games prior to the Sekera injury Ducks scored 10 goals. The worst result being the Ducks 6-3 W in game 3 WITH Sekera in the lineup.

Finally, the Oilers lost in a 7 game series because they lost both OT games in what were heartbreaking losses that could have gone either way, and lost a game due to the despicable Kesler interference of Talbot. Losing game 7 by one goal.

yeah, heh, its easily arguable Sekera injury made no difference. Not only wasn't it causation, there isn't even correlation in the results.

 

[Jamin]

Tom Gilbert had a 46pt season here on a team that didn't have anything like Draisaitl or McD on it. 30 pts is chopped chicken feed on a team with generational talents on it.

Sekera is absolutely useless, just terrible on the PP and a large reason why our PP doesn't work. He's not a PMD or our top scorers would get more points.

He's not a particularly good pk.

What is he good at, what does he do well?


Whenever I ask something like that its "whoa he was great last year, best D on the team'' Except if the thread was titled Klefbom the comments would be as identical, and as vague, and that he's just injured this season and not himself.

Again I don't speak Sekera but 2/3 seasons here he has been pretty meh. I don't think he was anything great last season either.


It just seems odd that all the comments in appraisal of this player is that he's "effective" and without denoting anything that he is effective at.


Its like saying a player is "really good" without delineating at what.

I don't get the "he's too skilled to be defined" either. Ethan Bear has shown me more skill and talent in a brief stint than Sekera has ever shown here. Almost every game Bear makes an exciting play. What skill is evident in Sekera's game? Overhandling the puck and getting caught? Its all I got.

In all your years watching hockey you have never heard anyone say if you dont notice a dman thats good?

The idea being they are not making mistakes

 

[Jamin]

I think you gotta give him next year. Its like the Pouliot buyout this year, what was the point? Unless there is some replacement UFA who is better and cheaper whats the point?

Best case scenario he returns to form of last year and can anchor the 2nd pair, help with the hard minutes which should improve Larssons game.

Mid case scenario he is in between this year and last year, still a good player though overpaid.

Worst case scenario he sucks and this years version is what his game has become. But at least you didnt sell low and gave him a chance. Buy him out next summer if thats the case.

If best case scenario or mid case scenario happens he might also be tradeable and you wouldn't need to buy him out.