Injury Report: Andrej Sekera out indefinitely (torn Achilles)

joestevens29

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
52,498
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Weve been horrible for so long that fans think that we need to wait 5 years for draft and failed development to accurately judge a GM. Meamwhile the rest of the league is taking turns with their playoff runs.
The really problem is that it's not like after 3 years we are demanding a cup. We are demanding playoffs.

I by no means am on the fire chia wagon right now, but this was the year that we needed to make the playoffs. But the excuses are done this year. He had a wait and see what happens year last year. Injuries are no longer an excuse either.
 

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
32,644
12,154
It would be one thing if the pieces he did trade worked out. The problem is he took a strength and made it a weakness while not really fixing a lot.

No defending the Reinhat deal. The Hall deal was made worse by optics. Hall grew up as a result OF the trade. He lost the trade BUT Larsson is an excellent dman.
The Eberle deal isnt as bad as some of the fatalists want to paint it out to be.

Lets just say that the rope is short for me but there is still some rope. PC either runs with it or hangs himself.
 
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joestevens29

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
52,498
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No defending the Reinhat deal. The Hall deal was made worse by optics. Hall grew up as a result OF the trade. He lost the trade BUT Larsson is an excellent dman.
The Eberle deal isnt as bad as some of the fatalists want to paint it out to be.

Lets just say that the rope is short for me but there is still some rope. PC either runs with it or hangs himself.
I'm honestly fine with every trade he made. There was justification for every single trade he has made.

The problem is when you put all the deals together it doesn't do nearly enough.
 
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Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
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I'm honestly fine with every trade he made. There was justification for every single trade he has made.

The problem is when you put all the deals together it doesn't do nearly enough.

Oilers fans rationalize stuff like this I find because it's been so long since they actually had good management that they don't even recognize what it is anymore.

You can't make multiple mistakes like this, that's how reality in the NHL actually works. There are consequences for every bad move you make, and if you make multiple mistakes you are quickly in a world of trouble. Maybe that's not nice to say, but this isn't a nice business, it's cruel and harsh ... as evidence by what happened to Sekera.
 

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
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I'm honestly fine with every trade he made. There was justification for every single trade he has made.

The problem is when you put all the deals together it doesn't do nearly enough.

Last season obscures things though....from a player standpoint and a team standpoint. Thats why I am willing to see how this season plays out. In the mean time I am not going to jump on the everything is negative bus.
 

joestevens29

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
52,498
15,065
Oilers fans rationalize stuff like this I find because it's been so long since they actually had good management that they don't even recognize what it is anymore.

You can't make multiple mistakes like this, that's how reality in the NHL actually works. There are consequences for every bad move you make, and if you make multiple mistakes you are quickly in a world of trouble. Maybe that's not nice to say, but this isn't a nice business, it's cruel and harsh ... as evidence by what happened to Sekera.
Oh for sure. At the end of the day it's been 3 years and right now the bad moves are out weighing the good moves.

Not sure how much longer anyone can expect him to be around. He is on notice.
 

Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
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Right now I see maybe a 90 point team. That's assuming almost perfect health for the rest of the roster, which probably is not realistic, but at this point I guess you have to hope for exactly that.

If you remove Maroon, Sekera, Eberle, etc. from that 16-17 Oilers they wouldn't get 103 points.

It's not even so much just Sekera alone but the shifting ripple effect it has on the rest of the blue line is not good. Matt Benning or Kris Russell being Nurse's partner there is likely going to be problematic. Nurse is getting better but he's still a very young d-man and can't carry a D pairing with a weaker partner I don't think. That 2nd D pairing could become a large liability.

This team just does not do well with any kind of injury to the D, it's a group that can tread water when everything is going perfect but they start to drown in virtually any other condition.
 
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CantHaveTkachev

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Nov 30, 2004
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The really problem is that it's not like after 3 years we are demanding a cup. We are demanding playoffs.

I by no means am on the fire chia wagon right now, but this was the year that we needed to make the playoffs. But the excuses are done this year. He had a wait and see what happens year last year. Injuries are no longer an excuse either.
of course he's done if they miss the playoffs IMO

missing the playoffs in 3 of the 4 years with McDavid is a career-ender
 
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Soundwave

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Mar 1, 2007
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of course he's done if they miss the playoffs IMO

missing the playoffs in 3 of the 4 years with McDavid is a career-ender

The odds are high I would say that his GM career is teetering on the brink. If he is fired from here, I don't think he will get a shot anywhere else ala Milbury. Things like 3/4 years with no playoffs with Connor McDavid are hard to shake.

I bet the moment he found out about the Sekera injury was not pretty.
 
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CupofOil

Knob Flavored Coffey
Aug 20, 2009
46,278
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NYC
Lol.

I'd also add the assets that he used on Reinhart. Not using the KY,JP and Bouchard picks. Nothing against those three guys, but he did decide to keep the picks when there were clear holes in the roster.

Keeping those picks was the smartest thing he's done. Dealing them for a quick fix would have been the worst thing he could have done (see Reinhart trade for reference). Forget the Hall and Eberle trades. If they had merely kept the 2015 picks, they would be in much MUCH better shape now. Good teams don't deal 1st rounders until.they are one piece away from Cup contention.

I was very pleasantly surprised that he didn't foolishly deal the 10th pick for somebody like Faulk because I'm sure the temptation was there to sell it for immediate help.
 

Spawn

Something in the water
Feb 20, 2006
43,589
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One must come to only a single conclusion after reading this thread.

It's Chia's fault Sekera tore his tendon.

Interesting.

No, it's Chia's fault that he hasn't fixed the defense in 4 seasons. With or without Sekera this team needed to add a top 4 RHD during the summer. They've needed to add one every summer since Chia took over.

It's negligence this GM has failed yet again to adequately dress a roster of legit NHL d-men.

Sekera getting injured only makes the already desperate need even more apparent.

And here we are 4 years into McDavid and the best the optimists are hoping for is sneaking into a wild card spot... with the best player in the world there is no excuses that this team isn't a mortal lock for a playoff spot and should be a legit cup contender. We're not even f***ing close.
 

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
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No, it's Chia's fault that he hasn't fixed the defense in 4 seasons. With or without Sekera this team needed to add a top 4 RHD during the summer. They've needed to add one every summer since Chia took over.

It's negligence this GM has failed yet again to adequately dress a roster of legit NHL d-men.

Sekera getting injured only makes the already desperate need even more apparent.

And here we are 4 years into McDavid and the best the optimists are hoping for is sneaking into a wild card spot... with the best player in the world there is no excuses that this team isn't a mortal lock for a playoff spot and should be a legit cup contender. We're not even ****ing close.

Its disingenuous to make the bolded statement and then build the rest of your opinion around it.

The season hasnt started yet.
 

XXIV97

Registered User
Jun 2, 2016
3,627
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Peter Chiarelli cannot be blamed for Sekera's injury this offseason. However, he can be blamed if he does not fulfill his responsibility of finding a d-man to replace this hole.

We can blame Chiarelli if he does not make any move to fill this hole.
 

Spawn

Something in the water
Feb 20, 2006
43,589
14,951
Edmonton
Its disingenuous to make the bolded statement and then build the rest of your opinion around it.

The season hasnt started yet.

Well, get back to me when he adds a legit top 4 RHD in the next month.... until then, I'm going to assume he'll fail at that just like he has the past 4 summers.

This idiot doesn't get the benefit of the doubt anymore.
 

McDNicks17

Moderator
Jul 1, 2010
41,588
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Ontario
Peter Chiarelli cannot be blamed for Sekera's injury this offseason. However, he can be blamed if he does not fulfill his responsibility of finding a d-man to replace this hole.

We can blame Chiarelli if he does not make any move to fill this hole.

He'll be blamed either way because people don't seem to understand they won't have Sekera's LTIR overage the whole season(assuming he comes back at some point).

They can likely only afford someone that's making something around $1.5M after Nurse's contract. If you're getting a legitimate top 4 defenseman at that price, it's going to be a young player that you'll have to give up the farm for.

Losing Sekera for most of the season doesn't just magically make someone like Justin Faulk an option.
 
Oct 15, 2008
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This is year 4 for PC. Enough with the previous GM's leaving him a bad core.

In 3 years TB was able to add Sergachev, Girardi and McDonagh

Pit went from Letang, Depres, Erhoff, Marin and Scuderi to Maata, Dumolin, Letang, Schultz, Oleksiak and Cole

Those other fools had over a decade to fix things. Chia has 3 seasons in not four. I’m not even a fan but the arguments here are so shallow they make Paris Hilton look deep. Be better.

It’s quite sad actually.
 

Darkwinter

Registered User
Apr 4, 2010
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There comes a time when Edmonton has to really think of cutting ties with Sekera after he comes back .either way were in for a long season full of highs and lows .. I so miss the 80s lol
 
Oct 15, 2008
40,422
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Its disingenuous to make the bolded statement and then build the rest of your opinion around it.

The season hasnt started yet.

I think it’s pretty obvious what you see is what you get. The injury may force a move but make no mistake, this ship of fools was going into the season with what we see atm. And possibly with Nurse as a holdout at that.
 
Oct 15, 2008
40,422
5,395
There comes a time when Edmonton has to really think of cutting ties with Sekera after he comes back .either way were in for a long season full of highs and lows .. I so miss the 80s lol

They need to make an under the table Pronger LTIR deal.
 

Took a pill in Sbisa

2showToffoliIwascool
Apr 23, 2004
16,259
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Those other fools had over a decade to fix things. Chia has 3 seasons in not four. I’m not even a fan but the arguments here are so shallow they make Paris Hilton look deep. Be better.

It’s quite sad actually.

Are you justifying Chiarelli's failure with the previous managents even worse failure?
Looking at the roster and draft picks that Chiarelli started with are you satisfied with the current roster heading into this season?
 
Oct 15, 2008
40,422
5,395
Are you justifying Chiarelli's failure with the previous managents even worse failure?
Looking at the roster and draft picks that Chiarelli started with are you satisfied with the current roster heading into this season?
No, I am not satisfied, but I do recognize that Chia at least tried to fix the goaltending and defence and I don’t think anyone can say both aren’t better now than when he got here. Those other fools can’t say the same after ten years. And they are STILL HERE!
 

Mr Positive

Cap Crunch Incoming
Nov 20, 2013
35,799
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Are you justifying Chiarelli's failure with the previous managents even worse failure?
Looking at the roster and draft picks that Chiarelli started with are you satisfied with the current roster heading into this season?
there's some point there, in that we are so eager for improvement, not just because we have McDavid but because we had a legendary span of losing before that. Perhaps there is some unfair pressure on Chiarelli.

If you look at what Chiarelli inherited, there were great things but also huge gaps that aren't fixable with simple deals, such as a 1D. There was also never a clear moment to get that player that Chia missed out on.

And ultimately, I agree that our roster isn't good enough after this time, but it's exaggerated now because Sekera has had these unpredictable issues and he is a solid Dman. Also, Talbot had a rough year, so although he seems like a weak addition right now, imo he does represent a big win from Chiarelli. If you don't have a good goalie, you're done. Teams struggle for years if they don't have a goalie. I'd argue that that issue is currently wrecking the Flames' rebuild.

Also, I choose to believe Nicholson when he says that Chia's saving grace is the state of our drafting, scouting and development, which apparently has benefited greatly because of decisions that Chia has made to remake our system. Nicholson has some motive to pump up Chia's tires, but to me he seems like a guy who doesn't hold his tongue, and even in that speech where he praised Chiarelli it almost sounded like he was trashing some other aspects of his performance so far.

My opinion of the team is that Chiarelli has generally done a good job, although he's dogged by some bad decisions along the way. But I get it. He NEEDED to creates wins ASAP, which is why he was so aggressive, and aggressiveness in GM is destined to lead to some bad moves.

Ultimately, I have one unambiguous criticism of Chiarelli: He has utterly and completely failed to bring in any sort of offensive defenseman. Benning was advertised as such, but that was quickly shown to be an exaggeration. Sekera too, and now the rhetoric is pushing that Nurse could possibly be that guy (spoiler alert: no). Even now, Chia says that drafting Bouchard has taken away organizational desire to get a OFD, and to me that potentially condemns our team not just for this upcoming season but for several after, and that assumes that Bouchard pans out. Btw, over the years there have been OFD available that Chia's struck out on. Even now, with Faulk right there, he is a player who couldn't be more available unless we're not on his NTC list. If he would come here though, I really don't see any excuse why we would not be the #1 front runner to get him. But anyway, there must be others available.

Btw, I'm not saying that our defense has no offensive skill. We have some guys who can put up okay numbers if they play over their heads. It's just that without that one pivotal guy one the blue line, it has a cascading effect where everyone else looks bad is playing above their ability when it comes to figuring out what to do with the puck in the offensive zone.
 

super6646

Registered User
Apr 16, 2018
17,765
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Calgary
there's some point there, in that we are so eager for improvement, not just because we have McDavid but because we had a legendary span of losing before that. Perhaps there is some unfair pressure on Chiarelli.

If you look at what Chiarelli inherited, there were great things but also huge gaps that aren't fixable with simple deals, such as a 1D. There was also never a clear moment to get that player that Chia missed out on.

And ultimately, I agree that our roster isn't good enough after this time, but it's exaggerated now because Sekera has had these unpredictable issues and he is a solid Dman. Also, Talbot had a rough year, so although he seems like a weak addition right now, imo he does represent a big win from Chiarelli. If you don't have a good goalie, you're done. Teams struggle for years if they don't have a goalie. I'd argue that that issue is currently wrecking the Flames' rebuild.

Also, I choose to believe Nicholson when he says that Chia's saving grace is the state of our drafting, scouting and development, which apparently has benefited greatly because of decisions that Chia has made to remake our system. Nicholson has some motive to pump up Chia's tires, but to me he seems like a guy who doesn't hold his tongue, and even in that speech where he praised Chiarelli it almost sounded like he was trashing some other aspects of his performance so far.

My opinion of the team is that Chiarelli has generally done a good job, although he's dogged by some bad decisions along the way. But I get it. He NEEDED to creates wins ASAP, which is why he was so aggressive, and aggressiveness in GM is destined to lead to some bad moves.

Ultimately, I have one unambiguous criticism of Chiarelli: He has utterly and completely failed to bring in any sort of offensive defenseman. Benning was advertised as such, but that was quickly shown to be an exaggeration. Sekera too, and now the rhetoric is pushing that Nurse could possibly be that guy (spoiler alert: no). Even now, Chia says that drafting Bouchard has taken away organizational desire to get a OFD, and to me that potentially condemns our team not just for this upcoming season but for several after, and that assumes that Bouchard pans out. Btw, over the years there have been OFD available that Chia's struck out on. Even now, with Faulk right there, he is a player who couldn't be more available unless we're not on his NTC list. If he would come here though, I really don't see any excuse why we would not be the #1 front runner to get him. But anyway, there must be others available.

Btw, I'm not saying that our defense has no offensive skill. We have some guys who can put up okay numbers if they play over their heads. It's just that without that one pivotal guy one the blue line, it has a cascading effect where everyone else looks bad is playing above their ability when it comes to figuring out what to do with the puck in the offensive zone.

Sorry, but I can't agree with your assessment about Chia. First off, your #1D is Nurse, which was already in your system before he arrived. He had Draisatl and Mcdavid available as well, and already had guys such as RNH, Hall, and Eberle established. Poor asset management has lead to the Oilers struggles. For example, the flames acquired 2 top 4 RD for picks (and now they acquired a top 5 pick from 2015 in Hanifin for Hamilton). Yes, it hurts in the ass a bit since the islanders got twelfth overall, but losing Dobson isn't that awful. You guys had to give up Taylor Hall for your right handed d. I can understand issues in the locker room, but how Chia got so little boggles me. Why Chia then thought it was a great idea to then trade your best RW available for a #3C dumbfounds me even more, especially since he spent all of that cap to extend Kris Russell. Also, he's terrible at negotiating contracts.

I will agree that his drafting is actually half decent, but he needs to stop making panic moves to try and improve the roster now (such as trading a 1st and a 2nd for a prospect everybody knew was a disappointment) and simply develop guys properly. This team should be a contender with Mcdavid, but I could see him genuinely ruining it if he continues handing out bad contracts and not properly managing assets.
 
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guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
32,644
12,154
I think it’s pretty obvious what you see is what you get. The injury may force a move but make no mistake, this ship of fools was going into the season with what we see atm. And possibly with Nurse as a holdout at that.

I dont think its all that obvious. LTIR does offer some cap relief.
I dont think its unreasonable at all to wait and see how this plays out instead of jumping to a conclusion.
 
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Mr Positive

Cap Crunch Incoming
Nov 20, 2013
35,799
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Sorry, but I can't agree with your assessment about Chia. First off, your #1D is Nurse, which was already in your system before he arrived. He had Draisatl and Mcdavid available as well, and already had guys such as RNH, Hall, and Eberle established. Poor asset management has lead to the Oilers struggles. For example, the flames acquired 2 top 4 RD for picks (and now they acquired a top 5 pick from 2015 in Hanifin for Hamilton). Yes, it hurts in the ass a bit since the islanders got twelfth overall, but losing Dobson isn't that awful. You guys had to give up Taylor Hall for your right handed d. I can understand issues in the locker room, but how Chia got so little boggles me. Why Chia then thought it was a great idea to then trade your best RW available for a #3C dumbfounds me even more, especially since he spent all of that cap to extend Kris Russell. Also, he's terrible at negotiating contracts.

I will agree that his drafting is actually half decent, but he needs to stop making panic moves to try and improve the roster now (such as trading a 1st and a 2nd for a prospect everybody knew was a disappointment) and simply develop guys properly. This team should be a contender with Mcdavid, but I could see him genuinely ruining it if he continues handing out bad contracts and not properly managing assets.
Nurse could be a #1D, but he's looking more like a really good 2nd pairing guy. I like him though, and think first pairing isn't crazy at all, but it's a stretch to think he could be a top tier Dman.

As for the Dmen Chia could have got, that was my point in that last bit I wrote. He has failed the team in getting us an offensive Dman. Getting Sekera and Russell were good moves though, although the Russell extension is bad because of the NMC attached. I mean geez, Ellis just signed in Nashville for 6 million, with no NMC. Just awful, Chia.

But yes, he did good things too. He found Maroon for spare change, and got a good pick out of him. Similarly, it looks like Rattie will be another gem for cheap. Most of all, Chia needs guys like Rattie, Koskinen and Reider to prove that his scouting is good, but also he needs bounce back years from Talbot and Larsson to prove that his judgement is sound.

It is worth it for Chia to spend this new cap space he's got, and to spend assets to get players.
 

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