Injury Report: Andrej Sekera out indefinitely (torn Achilles)

[Nordiques1979]

Banking on guys stepping up helped sink the Oilers last season. They absolutely need a stopgap here.

Unless by trading, don't see anyone worth it on the free agency market.

 

[guymez]

Where's the positive for this season?

The team has potential cap relief.
Talk to me in a month.

 

[joestevens29]

So does it open a spot for Bouchard? Why not consider Bear? All in all I don't think the Oilers should go after someone else, seeing names left in the market, Garrison, Enstrom, Sbisa, Franson, Emelin, I don't see any good replacement for Sekera.

Bouchard was always going to have a shot at 9 games if he did well in camp. If he does well that won't change. If he does poorly that won't change.

I'm also fine giving Bear, Stanton, Lowe, Gravel, or whoever a chance. I think they all were probably going to have a shot anyway.

The problem is this is a weak defense and won't have anyone to help shelter those guys.

Someone should at the very least be signed. We should also at some point be adding a top 4 d-man. I just don't know that we can do that right now.

 

[CycloneSweep]

The team has potential cap relief.
Talk to me in a month.

As others have said and all..this team has a scary October and need to come out 0.500 or better to have a shot this year. We needed a healthy Sekera for that. This injury followed up by us not really being able to replace him well, could sink this team in October.

That said Chia could pull a miracle and this team could start hot, but it's not looking good. Hopefully the new systems the coaches are getting us to play get learned fast and work quick.

 

[Little Fury]

Unless by trading, don't see anyone worth it on the free agency market.

Enstrom, Emelin, Davidson would be decent stopgaps. The issue with trading is you have to think about salary cap issues next season. No good options here.

 

[Little Fury]

The team has potential cap relief.
Talk to me in a month.

Best deals always happen for desperate teams one month before the season starts.

 

[guymez]

As others have said and all..this team has a scary October and need to come out 0.500 or better to have a shot this year. We needed a healthy Sekera for that. This injury followed up by us not really being able to replace him well, could sink this team in October.

That said Chia could pull a miracle and this team could start hot, but it's not looking good. Hopefully the new systems the coaches are getting us to play get learned fast and work quick.

Just not particularly interested in discussing all the possible outcomes.

I am willing to wait and see how this plays out.

 

[joestevens29]

Enstrom, Emelin, Davidson would be decent stopgaps. The issue with trading is you have to think about salary cap issues next season. No good options here.

PC isn't thinking about the 19-20 cap. That will be someone else's issue come January if he does nothing other than borderline NHLers as a UFA.

 

[joestevens29]

Just not particularly interested in discussing all the possible outcomes.

I am willing to wait and see how this plays out.

Just go watch last year's games

 

[Little Fury]

PC isn't thinking about the 19-20 cap. That will be someone else's issue come January if he does nothing other than borderline NHLers as a UFA.

He should be.

 

[joestevens29]

He should be.

He has very little to benefit right now thinking that far in the future.

 

[Little Fury]

He has very little to benefit right now thinking that far in the future.

Well, he can't do much NOW either what with the limitations of LTIR.

 

[belair]

Enstrom, Emelin, Davidson would be decent stopgaps. The issue with trading is you have to think about salary cap issues next season. No good options here.

All three of those guys are left handed and do nothing to help the PP, which Sekera was going to be heavily leaned upon to help improve. Kris Russell is more than capable of filling in for Sekera on the bottom pair at evens. A guy like Cody Franson, who finished out the season with 6-7-13 in 13 playoff games in Rockford is the kind of stopgap I'd be looking at for under $1m. He has a bomb on the PP, he sets our defense to its proper handedness and he can distribute the puck on a pairing with Kris Russell, who has a tendency to struggle in that regard.

He's a guy you can run with to open the season and if he doesn't work out, options likely open up through other avenues when you have that $5.5m LTIR money to utilize.

Signing another LD is just going to add to the log jam with Gravel signed and Lowe looking for minutes.

 

[McJadeddog]

Enstrom, Emelin, Davidson would be decent stopgaps. The issue with trading is you have to think about salary cap issues next season. No good options here.

I know Enstrom has really fallen off a cliff in recent years, but on a scale of "passable as a 3rd pairing guy to Cory Cross", where does he fall?

 

[McJadeddog]

All three of those guys are left handed and do nothing to help the PP, which Sekera was going to be heavily leaned upon to help improve. Kris Russell is more than capable of filling in for Sekera on the bottom pair at evens. A guy like Cody Franson, who finished out the season with 6-7-13 in 13 playoff games in Rockford is the kind of stopgap I'd be looking at for under $1m. He has a bomb on the PP, he sets our defense to its proper handedness and he can distribute the puck on a pairing with Kris Russell, who has a tendency to struggle in that regard.

He's a guy you can run with to open the season and if he doesn't work out, options likely open up through other avenues when you have that $5.5m LTIR money to utilize.

Signing another LD is just going to add to the log jam with Gravel signed and Lowe looking for minutes.

I thought we discussed that we could sign a guy still in the offseason because of the "over by 10%" rule?

 

[guymez]

Just go watch last year's games

A little premature....no?

 

[belair]

I thought we discussed that we could sign a guy still in the offseason because of the "over by 10%" rule?

Not heading into the regular season. We have to be under the cap by then.

Regardless, Nurse for $3.25m x 2 and Franson at $800k x 1 fits under the cap just fine.

 

[Little Fury]

I know Enstrom has really fallen off a cliff in recent years, but on a scale of "passable as a 3rd pairing guy to Cory Cross", where does he fall?

He spent some time with Buff in the top four in Winnipeg last year and was passable, I can't see why he wouldn't make a decent third pairing depth option.

All three of those guys are left handed and do nothing to help the PP, which Sekera was going to be heavily leaned upon to help improve. Kris Russell is more than capable of filling in for Sekera on the bottom pair at evens. A guy like Cody Franson, who finished out the season with 6-7-13 in 13 playoff games in Rockford is the kind of stopgap I'd be looking at for under $1m. He has a bomb on the PP, he sets our defense to its proper handedness and he can distribute the puck on a pairing with Kris Russell, who has a tendency to struggle in that regard.

He's a guy you can run with to open the season and if he doesn't work out, options likely open up through other avenues when you have that $5.5m LTIR money to utilize.

Signing another LD is just going to add to the log jam with Gravel signed and Lowe looking for minutes.

I was pushing for Franson before as a 7D/PP specialist but I think they need him and another guy to make up for losing Rej. I don't like Franson as an everyday option unless TMac changes the way he deploys his D.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Is ther anyone that can use ltir apace more than us?

 

[Nordiques1979]

Enstrom, Emelin, Davidson would be decent stopgaps. The issue with trading is you have to think about salary cap issues next season. No good options here.

Depends what the Oilers need, if it's a stay at home dman Emelin could fill in the gap, I read some suggested Franson, that guy always looked good on the paper, big body, a reputation of a puck moving defenseman, but never achieved the hype.

 

[belair]

I was pushing for Franson before as a 7D/PP specialist but I think they need him and another guy to make up for losing Rej. I don't like Franson as an everyday option unless TMac changes the way he deploys his D.

As an everyday pair for Kris Russell I think they'd be fine. Their games compliment each other's well enough for the softer minutes they'd likely be receiving.

 

[shoop]

Enstrom, Emelin, Davidson would be decent stopgaps. The issue with trading is you have to think about salary cap issues next season. No good options here.

If Sekera is done the cap issues aren't that big a problem. Tough to see a 32 year old coming back after a torn ACL and an Achilles tear in a 16 month span.

Weakness of the ACL adds extra stress to ligaments and tendons on that leg.

Recovery is possible, but not sure how likely.

 

[Little Fury]

As an everyday pair for Kris Russell I think they'd be fine. Their games compliment each other's well enough for the softer minutes they'd likely be receiving.

That's just it: IIRC, TMac doesn't really do matchups.

 

[Nordiques1979]

He spent some time with Buff in the top four in Winnipeg last year and was passable, I can't see why he wouldn't make a decent third pairing depth option.



I was pushing for Franson before as a 7D/PP specialist but I think they need him and another guy to make up for losing Rej. I don't like Franson as an everyday option unless TMac changes the way he deploys his D.

enstrom really is running out of gas, I even thought that he would retire after this season, Emelin is a more valuable option.

 

[Little Fury]

If Sekera is done the cap issues aren't that big a problem.

They still have to be under the cap at the start of every season; having $5.5M in dead space for the next two summers makes it pretty hard to maneuver.