The machinelike turnover of the Edmonton Oilers continued unabated Wednesday when new general manager Peter Chiarelli added former Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Andrej Sekera to the fold, signing the promising 29-year-old to a six-year deal worth $33 million.

And for the first time since Chiarelli took over the reins of the aimless Edmonton hockey operations department, there is reason for pause.

The Oilers, of course, selected franchise center Connor McDavid in the draft last week. Chiarelli added a potential franchise goaltender in Cam Talbot during the weekend, as well.

But in an effort to address the team’s significant defensive shortcomings, Chiarelli has truly swung for the fences.

But has he overswung with Sekera?

The Slovak defender, who was the 71st overall pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2004, bounced from the Sabres to the Hurricanes, where he emerged as a solid player with good offensive upside. Sekera was so attractive that the Los Angeles Kings acquired him at the trade deadline in hopes he could provide a push into the postseason.

It didn’t happen that way, and Sekera hit the jackpot with an Oilers club that has been surrounded by almost boundless optimism in recent weeks.

But the dollar and term afforded Sekera comes with more than a few red flags.

Can Sekera assume the top four role that such a contract demands?

By the end of his time in Los Angeles, Sekera was consistently logging at least 20 minutes a night in ice time. He could get some power-play time for the Oilers, but his role is leader of a group that has consistently been among the NHL’s worst statistically in recent seasons.

Is he ready for that kind of role and, more importantly, the kind of scrutiny that is going to come with that pressure, those kinds of expectations in Edmonton where fans have been waiting for most of a decade for the future to arrive?

Chiarelli and the Oilers believe he is.

Certainly the contract they gave him denotes they believe wholeheartedly he can be that kind of player. If he can’t measure up, though, it’s the kind of contract that sets an emerging team back immeasurably -- the kind of contract Oilers fans are all too familiar with.