Jakub Jerabek Signs With Edmonton Oilers

Tuesday: According to PuckPedia and CapFriendly, Jerabek’s deal will pay him $1MM this season in Edmonton. That leaves the team with just under $4MM remaining in cap space to sign Nurse and make any other additions necessary.

Monday: Tons of speculation erupted recently about who the Edmonton Oilers would bring in to help replace Andrej Sekera after it was announced he had undergone surgery, and today we got an answer. Jakub Jerabek has signed a one-year contract with the team after splitting last season between the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals.

Jerabek signed out of the KHL last summer, and began the year with the Laval Rocket in the AHL. A capable puck-mover and third pairing defender, he eventually found his way up to the Canadiens where he suited up for 25 games. As the Montreal season was out of reach and Jerabek was on only a one-year deal, the Canadiens flipped him to the Capitals at the deadline in exchange for a fifth-round pick. In 11 games down the stretch with the Capitals, Jerabek matched his Montreal total with four points but was asked to play in just two postseason contests as the team fought for the Stanley Cup.

In Edmonton, Jerabek doesn’t perfectly replace Sekera but will give the team another option to battle with the likes of Kevin Gravel and Keegan Lowe for the last few roster spots. It’s unlikely that the 27-year old is given much powerplay time or asked to defend the tough matchups, but at least he represents a bit of upside for minimal cost. The Oilers are pressed right up against the salary cap given that they still have a Darnell Nurse contract to work out, and can’t really afford to acquire any impact defenders—though, Sekera’s status could change that if he’s destined for long-term injured reserve. Regardless, the team will need to find a way to turn this group of defensemen into a playoff caliber blue line in short order, or risk wasting another one of Connor McDavid’s prime years in mediocrity.