Andrej Sekera injury update: Edmonton Oilers defenseman out indefinitely
The Edmonton Oilers have announced defenseman Andrej Sekera will be out indefinitely after suffering a torn Achilles tendon.
The 2017-18 NHL season was a nightmare for the Edmonton Oilers. They were arguably the biggest underachievers in the league. It appears the 2018-19 season is already off to a bad start, as defenseman Andrej Sekera has been listed as out indefinitely after suffering a torn Achilles tendon.
He suffered this injury while training overseas. Sekera has had surgery to fix the issue and it appears it was successful. However, it is worth questioning if he’ll ever be the same, as these kinds of injuries certainly take a toll on one’s body.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
This is a significant loss for the Oilers, whose blueline depth was already a bit shallow. While Sekera had just eight points in 34 games last season, Edmonton was banking on him being able to make a full recovery from a torn ACL suffered in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That clearly won’t be the case. There’s no timetable for Sekera’s return, but at the very least, the Oilers likely won’t have him back until late December at the earliest. The Oilers will likely turn to Darnell Nurse, Oscar Klefbom, and Kris Russell to take over on the left side without him.
Matt Benning and Ethan Bear should each get chances to prove themselves as everyday defensemen with Sekera out of the lineup. Don’t rule out Evan Bouchard making the NHL roster as well. Especially with both general manager Peter Chiarelli and head coach Todd McLellan likely having their jobs on the line this season.
It will be hard to find a defenseman to replace him this late in the summer but expect the Oilers to try. A trade could be coming since the free agent market has minimal options available.
Next. Greatest Player To Wear Each Jersey Number. dark
A lot of things would have had to go right for Edmonton to rebound from last season, when just about everything went wrong. Sekera bouncing back from his torn ACL in 2017 was clearly something the Oilers were expecting to happen. Now they will potentially be without him for a long time.