ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI Jerabek parks himself on Oilers blue-line
It’s not the big move most Edmonton Oilers fans were hoping for in the wake of a long-term injury to defenceman Andrej Sekera, but it’s a move nonetheless.
The Oilers signed defenceman Jakub Jerabek to a one-year, one-way contract in the hope an untapped upside might help mitigate a crushing loss on the blue-line.
Jerabek, 27, can skate and move the puck, which are qualities Edmonton is looking for on defence, but has yet to really establish himself as a reliable NHL player.
Last season was his first in North America as he played 36 games — 25 with the Montreal Canadiens and 11 with the Washington Capitals. He registered two goals and six assists in that span and drew in for the first two games of Washington’s playoff run before spending the rest of the post-season in the press box.
The five-foot-11, 200-pounder isn’t expected to fill the void left by Sekera, who will miss a large chunk of the season while recovering from a torn Achilles, but the Oilers simply aren’t in a position right now to land that big a fish on the free-agent market.
When the season begins and Sekera and his salary are moved to long-term injured reserve, there might be other options on the table, but for now they are left to nibble around the edges.
There is potential here, though. Jerabek is still young and might have more to give after getting his first look at NHL hockey. It is interesting that when Jerabek was with the Canadiens, they liked him more than Brandon Davidson, resulting in Davidson being put on waivers and the Oilers claiming him. They then turned around and dealt Jerabek for a fifth-rounder.
In 17 games in the American Hockey League last year, he put up 11 points. In 59 KHL games in 2016-17, the left-shot defenceman had five goals and 29 assists.