One of the biggest names that was moved at this past trade deadline was D Andrej Sekera, who changed addresses from Carolina to Los Angeles. The Kings paid a dear price for the soon-to-be UFA, sending a first round pick in 2016 and a prospect to the Hurricanes. Sekera was good for Los Angeles, but wasn’t enough as the Kings missed the playoffs.
At the time of the deal, most thought it was a shoe-in that LA would re-sign the defender, but here we are, in late May, with absolutely no word of Sekera and the Kings getting a deal done. There hasn’t been a single rumbling about talks, let alone a deal.
Why Is He Out There:
Andrej Sekera has earned a trip to free agency, which he is slated to get on July 1st. After years of playing on mediocre Buffalo and Carolina teams, Sekera finally got to show his stuff off on the national stage late this year. He passed with flying colors, and is due for a big payday.
The Kings have some cap issues, and will likely need to get creative to afford another contract that clocks in at over $4 million per season. While the Kings would love to keep Sekera, it’s certainly looking like he is pricing himself out of California.
What Does He Do Well:
Sekera is one of the most underrated puck-moving defenders in the game today. He’s so smooth with the puck, and has the offensive instincts that you look for in a player slated to fill this role. He’s decently sized, but Sekera isn’t overly physical, which is arguably his biggest wart as a player.
He’s a very solid skater, fast enough to join in the rush and more than capable of getting back in time to prevent any kind of damage. He’s also aware enough to pick his spots when it comes to joining the rush, and he sees the ice extremely well. He’s a smart player, and understands the defensive position quite well. He’s rarely caught out of position, to be honest.
Sekera is one of the rare defenders who can rush the puck up ice and be a real threat. He’s quick, but he’s also very good on the puck, and is a solid distributor. He’s able to move the puck up ice with a strong outlet pass as well, and excels at getting the puck up to the forwards.
Sekera’s offensive ability is good enough where he is an ideal candidate to ride shotgun on the back-end with the Hall line or the McDavid line next season.
Sekera doesn’t possess a bomb of a shot, but he has a decent wrist shot and can play on the power-play. That said, his bread and butter is passing, which as mentioned above he excels at. He’s also a calm player, and can move the puck while dealing with pressure, something many Oiler defenders have struggled with in the past.
As for minutes, Sekera averaged 21:59 a night last season, firmly placing him as a top-four option in this league.
Where Will He Play / Where Should He Play:
If Edmonton signed Sekera, he would instantly be a top two defender on this team, likely falling behind Oscar Klefbom by mid-season. That said, he’d slide into a top-pairing role on this team almost immediately.
Where he should play, however, is on the second pairing. He’s an established top-four defender in this league, but likely isn’t ready to hold down a top-pairing. That said, Edmonton could probably get away with having him as the number two for part of the season.
What Will He Cost:
At 28 years old, Sekera is entering the prime years of his NHL career. That means you can expect him to cash in on July 1st if he does in fact hit the market. I’ll suggest a four or five year deal is the ask, with $4.5-$5 million per season being the price tag. To most people, that seems like a lot, but it’s likely market value in a weaker year for free agents.
Closing Arguments:
If Edmonton wants to dramatically improve it’s poor defensive unit this off-season, multiple additions will be needed. While Andrej Sekera does not represent an option that would completely turn this unit’s fortunes around, he represents a solid piece to the puzzle.
Sekera is a proven top-four defender in the NHL who plays an offensive oriented game and is a strong possession player. If you buy-out Nikita Nikitin and sign Andrej Sekera, you are instantly better on the blue-line. This would be a strong target come July 1st for Peter Chiarelli if he elects to go the free agent route.
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