Andrej Sekera out 6-to-9 months with torn ACL

Josh Cooper
ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 05: Andrej Sekera #2 of the Edmonton Oilers is helped off the ice by Milan Lucic #27 and a trainer during the first period against the Anaheim Ducks in Game Five of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center on May 5, 2017 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA – MAY 05: Andrej Sekera #2 of the Edmonton Oilers is helped off the ice by Milan Lucic #27 and a trainer during the first period against the Anaheim Ducks in Game Five of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center on May 5, 2017 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Andrej Sekera will miss the next six-to-nine months because of a torn ACL, general manager Peter Chiarelli announced Tuesday.

The 30-year-old Sekera was injured six minutes into Game 5 of his second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks when he was crunched along the boards by Ryan Getzlaf.

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Sekera was then helped off to the ice and went to the dressing room. He did not return for the remainder of the series.

The Oilers signed Sekera to a six-year, $33 million contract before the 2015-16 season to give them some blue line depth. In two seasons with the Oilers, Sekera has notched 65 points in 161 games while averaging 21:40 of ice-time per-contest. This past season, Sekera notched 35 points and averaged 21:29 of ice-time in 79 games. He also held a 49.32 adjusted 5-on-5 CF% and a minus-1.57 adjusted 5-on-5 CF% Rel.

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Losing Sekera for that length of time could impact how the Oilers look at their blue line this offseason. Veteran defenseman Kris Russell is an unrestricted free agent who made $3.1 million last season and has said he’d like to return. The Oilers have said they’d like him back as well, though a long-term deal for the 30-year-old Russell may not be the most prudent choice.

“I thought he was really good for our team… his poise, his skating,” Chiarelli said.

There is some defensive value in the unrestricted free agent market, but the Oilers may not want to spend too much with Leon Draisatil and Connor McDavid up for big raises in the next two years.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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