News came out this morning on social media that the Edmonton Oilers have placed defenceman Andrej Sekera on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout.
The #Oilers buy out 33 y/o LD Sekera, had 2 Yrs $5.5M Cap Hit Remaining.
Buyout Cap Hit:
Yr 1: $2.5M
Yr 2: $2.5M
Yr 3: $1.5M
Yr 4: $1.5MSaves $3M Cap Hit/year for next 2 years.https://t.co/nYmOJemQgr pic.twitter.com/omXBn4UdoY
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) June 30, 2019
Sekera is signed for two more seasons at a $5.5-million cap hit. A buyout will carry a cap penalty over the next four seasons.
| SEASONS | SAVINGS | CAP HIT |
| 2019-20 | $3,000,000 | $2,500,000 |
| 2020-21 | $3,000,000 | $2,500,000 |
| 2021-22 | -$1,500,000 | $1,500,000 |
| 2022-23 | -$1,500,000 | $1,500,000 |
Buying out Sekera immediately opens $3 million in cap space. The Oilers must have plans in free agency as they now have a little over $12 million to play with according to PuckPedia. Sekera is coming off another injury-plagued season after two significant injuries in back-to-back seasons.
Sekera was one of the Oilers’ best defencemen in 2015-16 and 2016-17. Unfortunately, an injury in the playoffs against Anaheim held him to just 60 games over the past two seasons. The Oilers have a somewhat crowded left side on defence with Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse. A younger player like Caleb Jones now has a clearer path to an NHL spot.
The Oilers already have money dedicated to the buyouts of Benoit Pouliot and Eric Gryba, making another buyout less than ideal, however, it does afford Ken Holland and co more freedom to address the roster this summer. Gryba’s buyout ends after next season, while Pouliot’s extends to 2021.
SEKERA AS AN OILER
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PGP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 81 | 6 | 24 | 30 | 12 | -15 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2016-17 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 8 | 27 | 35 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2017-18 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 36 | 8 | 8 | 6 | -15 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2018-19 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 24 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2018-19 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| NHL Totals | 707 | 45 | 191 | 236 | 178 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 13 |
This is stupid. Sekera is a 5.5 million dollar defense man and he is healthy. We at least need another 5.5 million dollar defenseman to replace him. However with the buyout there is a cost of 3 million. So we are looking for a 8.5 million of impact in a d-man for 5.5 million dollars during free agency when everyone gets overpaid?! Do not like. Just build slowly now and let contracts run out. You are going to have to sign nuge soon and you have buyouts on the books. They are obviously doing the same thing all over again, there is pressure to make the playoffs. You DO NOT Make or not make the playoffs in free agency. You do that over 10 year at the draft. You make or break a final 4 appearance of an already capable teams because of good FA signings. TO compliment what you were not able to find at the draft. We are not there yet, I am sorry Katz, but this will not work.
Need cap space to sign more overpaid free agents that they can then buy out again…cycle continues.
let us know how that Neal buyout works for your Lamers…
I think they’re just going to see if he can play better this season…I have my doubts. But certainly a massive overpayment to a player who has lost his game. What are you gonna do…Every team has one
Sekera came back and played well last season. It is a head scratcher for me too. Hopefully we understand this better tomorrow.
sekera was the reason we lost in 2017, his injury. He has been a stud on the blueline when he is healthy. Always has been. The only reason he has not played well is because he was injured or recovering. This is not a head scratcher, he is a great player. Someone will claim him for sure.
5.5 m to play on the 3rd pairing. I don’t think so
he is a #3 dman when healthy. #1 on this team. Do people seriously forget his play in 2017? That type of injury can take years to recover from. And he just recovered We are selling low, again.
Nobody is going to claim a injury-prone, overpaid, ageing defensemen, when he can be had for much cheaper as a UFA.
He is not injury prone. That does not exist. he just has been injured like most NHL players have.
Head scratcher, I don’t think you know what that means.
Well that came out of left field. I thought Sekera looked good after coming back from his latest injury last season and didn’t consider him a top option for a buyout. I really don’t like buyouts. Oilers going into the next couple years with a lot of dead cap space.
which is the reason it’s a head scratcher??? I agree with Spyder. Oilers finaly have a healthy D corp going into this season…let’s buy sekera out. Someone will pick him up for cheap.
I dont get this either, but my guess this isn’t so much about Sekera’s ability but more about the dollar factor in getting the needed cap space for other moves. If you lok at when he came back after not playting for ages , Sekera moved the puck pretty well and when he was paired with Benning calmed Benning down and Benning made far less mistakes with the puck. Sekera also moves the puck well and he is pretty good on the back end in the PP which were two of Sekera’s strong points.
I would think with Sekera moved out it still doesnt leave a lot of cap space free, so there has to be another move to clear some more cap space coming. Question is who is going to get moved next and who is coming to the Oilers.
low mins and lesser competition
Where are all the Holland lovers now? More Dead Space in future years. How is this team so damn dumb. Incompetent Management trend continues. Choosing Russ over Sekera? Really. Wow just wow. You could have traded Kris Russell, instead they choose to buy-out Sekera. I’ll fight someone if they want to defend Holland. He is more of the same, a past his best before dare, think’s hes the smartest man in the room GM.
Again we see these head scratching moves where everyone but the Oilers knows they are the wrong moves. Idiotic. The cycle continues. So frustrating. Need puck moving defensemen? Buy out one of your puck moving defensemen and most solid veterans!
Russel is healthy , and Russel blocks a lot of shots. He’s the reason why nurse keeps improving as well. Sekera is a bum who is always injured. Not sure how this doesn’t make sense to people. Why pay someone 5.5 mil who plays less than half a season? Holland most likely has bigger plans wait it out before you cry and complain about it
Well Russell salary also goes on the slide downwards in scale, but I dont know if the Oilers will hang on to Russell, with over just 11 mil in cap space there are a lot of holes that still need ton be filled and not a lot o money to work with, there has to be a couple more moves coming
They had better trade Russell as well, or yes, we have the same issue. You have to simply fire them all. This was the last do over. This move, has desperation to make the playoffs now written all over it. This is bad because it comes at a price or long term assett management. We just threw a solid 3rd line center out the window for the next 2 seasons with the buyout hit. Are we planning to sign a 5.5 million dollar player who has the impact of 8.5 million and can play 2 positions?
Damned if you do something damned if you don’t! Can’t have both, human nature to moan and groan. I guess.
It is. Especially when it comes to the Oilers which have missed the playoffs the last 12 of 13 seasons. And having gone through how many GM’s and coaches already…that human nature will be on full display and amplified until this sh*t show is turned around and that team is no longer the laughingstock of the leauge.
*league
Edit feature on the way? Or more of these new video ads that slow down the page and experience?
Hey least your Lamers are keeping that streak alive of first round exits 13 years and counting! When is the banner raising for that?
Didn’t the Flames make it to the second round in 2015? But ya both Alberta teams have been massive losers for a long long long time that’s for sure. Would be nice to actually get a rivalry back on the ice rather than just an internet name calling feud. Certainly wins an award for most lame hockey rivalry in the NHL really.
Oilers fans:We need to improve the defense!!
Also Oilers fans:Why would they get rid of one of our defensemen??!!???
Same old same old on ON I see. How about we wait a week and see what shakes out before firing one of the best GMs in history for one isolated move?
In other words, let’s fight. Bike racks at noon.
“one of the best GMs in history ”
His last good year was a decade ago.
In Oct when Sek gets hurt everyone would ask why he is still on the team. The guy can’t stay healthy. Need to make room for young guys, and use the money elsewhere.
Can’t stay healthy? You mean when he had a freak injury last off-season? And when he patrolls another team’s blue-line playing top 4 minutes and gets 25-30 points, will you say you were wrong? I don’t think you will. I think you will say “I knew it was a bad move buying him out”. Let’s keep the good old western canadian shot-blocking cowboy over Russell. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. Pathetic Fans. Just as bad as the media in this city. You Fans are the problem. Just like the media, you will jump on Holland in 3 years but will ride him right now since he is the shiny new toy.
They need a solution to the cap and this is part of it. What’s your solution boy?
He’s played 60 games with 12 points(none goals) in the last 2 years. This is the problem with some fans, they become soo attached to players they let it cloud their reason. He’s injury-prone and washed up and is a 3rd line defensemen at most, that’s a damn fact. He did soo much for our young D-men and was an outstanding person but changes had to he made.
L8oli8k0ik
I’m not a fan of the move but is easy to see why it was done. Hard to pay Sekera 5.5mil a season to play on the third pairing. Just because teams were interested in Russel doesn’t mean a trade could of be worked out given his partial no movement clause. As for the dead cap space in years 3-4 I believe the new US TV deal that has yet to be negotiated will be kicking in raising the cap a large amount. Offsetting the cap penalty somewhat. Also opens a spot in the top 7 for Dmen to give bear jones leggason and Pearson a look in the NHL. We need to know what these prospects can do in the NHL while still on there ELC.
There are two absolutely untraceable players on this team and they are Andrej Sekera and Milan Lucic. Sekera is a 5/6 defenseman at best now (yes he was a Second pairing). He’s on the back nine of his career. He’s slower, less agile due to his injuries. He came back looking okay last year, but came back as the worst defenseman on the team the injury prior to that. What will the next injury bring? He’s the highest paid defenseman on the team and I would pick him (at this stage) probably last out of our defenseman. The others can all stay healthy, yes he moves the puck better than Russel, but he sure doesn’t go where Russel will go. Russell almost blocks more shots than our goalies do. This completely makes sense. I agree he should probably be replaced, but by an affordable 5/6 defenseman on a reasonable contract.
I’ll wait to see what he does before I act like a toddler.
Apparently few agree with your comment. Trade Russell to who? tomorrow is the day Holland needs to focus on and needed the cap room. I liked Reg but not at that price time for new blood from internal for the blueline.
I agree Dan. If there was interest out there for Russel (or Sekera) I’m sure we’d be reading about a trade right now. A buyout is a last resort and I don’t believe this would have been done on a whim.
I’m gonna wait to see who Holland signs in free agency before I pass judgement. And even then, I will wait until the Oilers are well into the season to really pass judgement. Cap space is an issue for the Oilers. They needed to free up space, and obviously nobody was interested in trading with the Oilers, so they did this. Lots of whining from a fanbase that has been screaming for lineup changes. Well, this will do it.
Flush
In regard to your Lamers rebuild no doubt
No. More dead cap space added to the books. 5.3 Million in dead cap space on the books for next season.
I am a disgruntled Oilers fan that is watching the countdown to McDavid requesting a trade after a couple more seasons of missing the playoffs.
Wait didnt you say the last game btwn the Oilers and Lamers that the Lamers were going to destroy the Oilers..yea about that.
Hey good news though the Lamers are looking for some fans, apparently lots of openings after everyone jumped off the Lamer bus after another first round exit.
Oh an they will. I’m actually not sure when they will make the playoffs again. Pretty sad.
The rumour is that the Oilers need the $3 million savings to sign Corey Perry.
Also, Rishaug says Connolly not coming here so the rumour makes sense.
Who’s rumour? Didn’t Parry say he wants to go to a contender. I donlt see Parry having any interest in the Oil.
Article on theScore about 25 minutes ago names Oilers as 1 of a few going after him. Obviously, would require an Edmonton overpayment premium to choose Oilers though.
This is a questionable move. Never a good idea to ink a rookie into the lineup until they give you no choice. Seems like they’re sure somebody is making the team out of camp though. Sadly, this is Chirelli type thinking.
At the end of the day, buyouts are a short term band aid at the cost of long term pain. This make this move doubly questionable since Sekera is a solid player who’s just been injured, he could easily still make solid contributions.
If the goal was to free up cap space, far smarter to trade the guy for a low pick and retain half his salary as a sweetener for the remainder of his contract, which would only be 2 years. You get the same cap relief, a magic bean, and you’re not hamstrung with dead cap space 2021-2023
When you have 4m tied up in buyouts, you don’t have 81.5m in cap. You have 77.5m. So, your spot on.
The problem is finding a trade partner. Nobody is lining up to help out the Oilers.
What makes u think he didn’t try to trade Sekera?
Agree. I’m sure they wouldn’t be buying him out if they could trade him without taking something back they didn’t want.
Even if Sekera is an Oiler come training camp, the past 2 years have shown us that you still need a rookie to cover his spot and 5.5 million in cap space.
This is the key imo. Moving Sekera brings more surety to the lineup.
Assuming you can tade a injury prone 33rd on a 5.5m multi year contract right? – you have to think they tried, and very understandable that they were’nt able to. I maybe wouldn’t have done this now, a year healthy could’ve shown him well enough to maybe trade to at deadline with max retention.
Not liking this at all could have had Talbot cheaper. Well that move doesn’t inspire confidence for the back up position
Stop crying. You guys whine like 7 year old girls.
1) it’s not like Sekera is Karlsson, give it a break, he is a 5/6 d on any decent team.
3) 3 mill go a long way when we need to get a goalie and wingers.
4) 34 years old in a fully stacked left D depth chart….
5) obviously the Oilers aren’t done yet.
Go enjoy the long weekend and stop whining.
A franchise still in the crapper after several seasons with the best player in the world on it will do that to a fanbase.
I’m about to go golfing but caring about your team, a team that has made way more bad moves then good moves for decades now then questioning yet another seeming strange move is not “whining”. It is called being a knowledgeable fan through some very difficult times.
The summer has just begun we can revisit if this was a good or bad move in late September.
No you are whining.
Thank you! Lol these guys like Spydyr and others acting like we just traded McD for picks.. We lost a 33 year old injury plagued dman who has barely played in two years. We have multiple dmen that can step in and replace him and it makes some space for other moves. He’s been here for like 4 years and we’ve made the playoffs once.
Hey Leichs, who was one of the Oilers best defenceman they one year they did make the playoffs?
Nurse is two years better now . Sekera would be penciled in as a 5-6 damn. Worry about Neal. At least looch can throw ‘em.
Who was the Oil’s top goal scoring LW that year? So if Holland were to find a pace t dump Lucic I guess you would be jest as upset.
if a trade happens today to create more cap space I support it,if this is all and we cant do much tomorrow it was insane
The easy facts are this. Klefbom and Nurse are the bonafide #1 and 2 lefties on this team. Sekera was great in the second pairing before the injuries but in the last 2 years Nurse has proven he can handle that spot. 3rd pair options can be had by much cheaper options. The right side is where the improvements need to be made. Russel is not an ideal 2nd pair righty. He is a place holder. Ideally he would be your 3rd lefty and PK specialist but $4M makes him slightly overpaid, but still manageable in a lack of option scenario. I still believe Stralman can be had at $2.25 for a cpl of seasons. Better suited to play 2R this season, and cheap enough to move down the depth chart as the next wave of prospects move up. I believe if they can sign Stralman, Russel will then be traded.
Klefbom-Larsson
Nurse-Stralman
Bear-Benning
Jones
That’s a solid start with guys playing their proper side and not over their head. That leaves the entire $12M to help at the front end.
The easy facts are if Klefbom wasn’t hurt for half the season he would be a top pairing. Top pairings play a full season. He’s played a full season once, which makes him a 4 or 5 on a contender.
Being injured doesn’t mean you can’t be a top pair guy.
Bear is RHD.
Don’t forget Manning. He’s a LHD.
Sorry I meant jones. I can never remember which of those two plays which side
Dont see manning being anywhere on the depth chart. He will never get out of the AHL again.
This is not the guy to buy out. This is what most teams covet…….reliable at both ends of the ice, and never cheats for offence.
I don’t get this, buyouts are very rarely the way to go. Ya it’s great that they save 3 million, but they need to replace him with someone. Any semi competent replacement is 2.5 million anyways. Is the 0.5 million in savings really worth the cap penalties in years 3&4 of the buyout?
Would have rathered they traded Russell for literally nothing to be honest. At least that way they would have gotten more cap savings and not had any dead cap space to deal with in the future.
Desperation move. And indication fixing this mess is going to take several seasons at least …. if even that is enough. I don’t think McDavid has the patience to prop up this outfit. Guy wants to win.
Or you play of the prospects like jones. Who looked very good on the third pairing last season. His cap hit is under a million. Unless you think 5.5 million on the third pairing is a good use of cap space.
So the plan is to rely on young players to be ready then? They’ve tried that plenty of times already, hasn’t ever worked before, so I bet it’ll work out this time right?
So wheres the line? Do we just wait till they’re all 25 before we let them play full time? Letting Jones play 3rd pairing minutes where he’s proven he can succeed is much different then forcing him in as the 1st RHD
If prospects force their way into the lineup then that’s great. The problem is when they are pencilled into the starting lineup right from the get go. This buyout suggests that this is exactly what they are going to do.
If they are going to sign another veteran guy for the bottom pair so Jones actually has to win a job in camp instead of being gifted one, then this makes no financial sense.
There are prospects who have paid their dues and have developed in the minors they have earned the right to get a promotion. This is a perfect scenario in a cap world.
The difference this year is that there is only room for one rookie. Nurse Larson Klefbom Russel and even Benning, are all veterans now.
That may be the best part of this. Looks like they’re going to give Jones a shot.
Wrong… Then you have no Russell and still pay a 6th D-man 5.5mil. This way we still have a functional D-man. The ideal move would’ve been a trade with salary retained so we get something out of it. But if that was available, Sekera wouldn’t have been bought out.
It sucks to lose him, because when he was healthy, he was effective. The only, ONLY, reason I can defend this is because Holland believes he can address all the needs of the team with the cap space he now has. It’ll be interesting to see what he does tomorrow, but if he sits on his hands and does nothing, then he’s just lost his mind completely.
No way Holland sits on his hands. It’s obvious he’s going to sign a couple players.
Veteran G Smith will join Oilers
“Veteran goaltender Mike Smith has chosen to play with the Edmonton Oilers, according to TSN Senior Hockey Reporter Frank Seravalli.”
I am very disappointed with the as a 38 year old on the down side of his career inspires no confidence in the goaltenders. The only silver lining is that it should allow a couple of M more to spend on forwards vs say a signing of Mazurek or Varlamov. Oil forward adds will be more impactful than expected a few hours ago. Could be as much a 10M worth of forwards coming in.