NHL
Defenseman Jakub Jeřábek Joins Edmonton Oilers
A new team for a new season. Former Washington Capitals defenseman Jakub Jeřábek signed a contract with the Edmonton Oilers for the 2018-19 season. The new contract is worth $1 million for one year, but that might be enough to leave an impression. He will be an unrestricted free agent again at the end of the season, allowing the Oilers to evaluate his fit with minimal risk involved.
"(My agent) called me saying that Edmonton had an offer. I was very happy & excited." New d-man Jakub Jerabek felt one-year contract with the #Oilers was the right fit. https://t.co/j9cFwIIKvU
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) August 22, 2018
The Road So Far
Jeřábek became a free agent after helping the Washington Capitals to the team’s first Stanley Cup in their 44-year history. He played only 11 games in the regular season and two in the playoffs. If it wasn’t for Michal Kempny solidifying the defense, Jeřábek might have gotten more of a chance to contribute. It was pretty clear that the Capitals brought him in as support during their cup run and didn’t intend to re-sign him.
The situation was similar with the Montréal Canadiens; he played limited games during his tenure. Jeřábek’s season with the Canadiens started in November when he was called up from the American Hockey League (AHL) team Laval Rocket. He only played 25 games before being a healthy scratch ahead of the February trade deadline.
Contribution in Edmonton
Settling down isn’t something Jeřábek is used to. Signing with the Edmonton Oilers makes this his third team within the course of a year. The difference here is that he has a chance to win the third-pairing role out of training camp. He will be competing against Kevin Gravel for the position, who was also signed during the offseason.
It was clear there was going to be a little competition for the roster spot when Andrej Sekera played only 38 games with the Oilers last season due to a nagging ACL injury. The bad news didn’t stop there. Sekera tore his Achilles tendon during an offseason workout and is sidelined indefinitely per the team. Some reports project him to miss up to the first 60 games of 2018-19.
Jeřábek could be a bonus for the Oilers. He had proven play control with the Canadiens, that could be enhanced by a decent right-handed partner. Scoring isn’t a defenseman’s job, but it doesn’t hurt to contribute. Two goals in 36 total NHL games isn’t much, but he wasn’t able to find his footing with either team. If Jeřábek holds that third-pairing position for the duration of Sekera’s absence, that stability might boost his game.
