The Edmonton Oilers delivered some unfortunate news on Tuesday afternoon when it was revealed that veteran defenseman Andrej Sekera suffered a torn Achilles tendon during an offseason training session.
Sekera, 32, underwent surgery to repair the tendon and will be out indefinitely as he recovers from the injury.
#Oilers d-man Andrej Sekera underwent successful surgery today to repair a torn Achilles tendon. Sekera was injured during an off-season training session & will be sidelined indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/Wum0OS6ZFb
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) August 14, 2018
That's a very tough hit for the Oilers, who lose a significant piece from a defensive corps that already has concerns heading into the upcoming season. The news comes at an inopportune time, as it's tough to explore replacement options this late in the offseason.
It's also an unfortunate development for the veteran Sekera, who played just 38 games for Edmonton last season after suffering a torn ACL during Edmonton's playoff run in 2017. He contributed eight assists while averaging 16:20 minutes for the Oilers last season.
Sekera has played 683 games across 12 seasons in the NHL, scoring 45 goals and and adding 187 assists. He previously spent time with the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and Los Angeles Kings before signing a six-year, $33 million contract with Edmonton in 2015.
