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Oilers defenceman Andrej Sekera out indefinitely after Achilles surgery

(Associated Press)
(Associated Press)

With the Edmonton Oilers looking to rebound in a big way after a dismal 2017-18 season, the team announced some devastating news on Tuesday pertaining to one of its top blue-liners.

Though details on the recovery time are scarce — and early reports have been somewhat conflicting — the club is listing their defenceman as out indefinitely. Recovery time for this type of injury is generally around six months, but it can be as long as a year depending on the severity of the Achilles tear, putting the 32-year-old’s entire 2018-19 campaign in jeopardy.

Sekera, who reportedly suffered the injury while training in Europe this summer, also missed a large chunk of the 2017-18 season with a knee injury. He managed just 36 games, posting eight assists while averaging 16:20 TOI down the stretch for the Oilers.

Prior to these two devastating injuries, Sekera had a very healthy couple of campaigns, skating in 81 and 80 regular season contests in 2015-16 and 2016-17, respectively. He missed only three total games in those two seasons, posting 14 goals and 65 points over that time while establishing himself as a solid second-pairing D-man, averaging over 21 minutes of ice time per night.

Sekera, who inked a six-year, $33-million deal with Edmonton in 2015, carries a $5.5-million cap hit through the 2020-21 campaign. The Oilers will place Sekera on long-term injury reserve, which will, at least, open up some cap space in order to help fill the hole left on the blue line.