Arizona Coyotes Claim Jiri Sekac Off The Waiver Wire From Chicago

Oct 27, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Jiri Sekac (46) skates against the Dallas Stars during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeat the Ducks 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 27, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Jiri Sekac (46) skates against the Dallas Stars during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeat the Ducks 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Coyotes have claimed 23-year-old winger Jiri Sekac off of the waiver wire from the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Sekac was acquired by the Blackhawks in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks for Ryan Garbutt.

The Arizona Coyotes claimed young Czech winger Jiri Sekac off of the waiver wire on Saturday according to Elliotte Friedman.

Sekac was waived by the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday to help accommodate the Andrew Ladd deal that Stan Bowman pulled off on Thursday night.

He had been previously acquired by Chicago in January via a trade with the Anaheim Ducks that sent Ryan Garbutt to the Ducks for Sekac.

The Coyotes will be Sekac’s fourth team in just two NHL seasons.

The Arizona Coyotes claim on Jiri Sekac seems like yet another sign in a long line of them that Mikkel Boedker is about to play his last game in a Coyotes jersey.

Here is the Yotes’ press release:

Arizona Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes have claimed forward Jiri Sekac off waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Sekac has recorded 0-1-1 and two penalty minutes (PIM) in six games with the Blackhawks in 2015-16. The Kladno, Czech Republic native also collected 1-2-3 and four PIM in 22 games with the Anaheim Ducks this season. The 23-year-old Sekac has registered 10-17-27 and 28 PIM in 97 career NHL games with the Blackhawks, Ducks and Montreal Canadiens.

The Sekac pickup seems like insurance for the impending Boedker deal. They aren’t too far apart in skillsets – both possess speed – but Sekac hasn’t shown an inclination of being able to match Boedker’s production.

In his rookie season in 2014-15, Sekac played 69 games with 9 goals and 14 assists. This season he has played 28 games for the Ducks and Blackhawks yet has just 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points.

Sekac has been pretty decent in possession while with Anaheim and Chicago, though his original stint in Montreal found him about average with the majority of the Arizona Coyotes forwards which is pretty subpar.

Next: Did The Coyotes Dodge A Bullet By Not Re-signing Mikkel Boedker?

One would assume that Sekac’s newfound possession play is more likely a product of the strong teams he has played on recently than anything else.

Where head coach Dave Tippett and general manager Don Maloney see him fitting in here with the Arizona Coyotes will be an interesting subplot to this trade deadline.

Could we see Sekac slot right in where Boedker lined up on Antoine Vermette‘s wing come Monday night in Pittsburgh?