Oilers D Sekera undergoes Achilles surgery; out indefinitely

[August 15, 2018]    Edmonton Oilers defenseman Andrej Sekera is out indefinitely after having surgery Tuesday to repair a torn Achilles tendon suffered during an offseason training session, the team announced on Twitter.

The Achilles injury is a big blow for the 32-year-old Sekera, who was limited to just 36 games last season -- his fewest in a season since appearing in two games in his NHL debut campaign in 2006-07 as a 21-year-old -- after incurring a torn anterior cruciate ligament during the 2017 playoffs.

Last season in his limited action, Sekera went without a goal for the first time since his two-game stint in 2006-07. He had eight assists while averaging 16:20 per appearance. He had played in 19-plus minutes per game in nine of the previous 10 seasons.

In 12 NHL seasons the left-handed shooting Sekera has recorded 45 goals and 187 assists in 683 games.

Originally chosen in the third round of the 2004 draft by the Buffalo Sabres, Sekera played his first seven seasons in Buffalo (2006-13) and joined the Carolina Hurricanes (2013-15) and Los Angeles Kings (2015) before inking a six-year, $33 million contract with Edmonton in 2015.

--Field Level Media

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