Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist will miss at least the first three games of the regular season with a lower-body injury, general manager Doug Armstrong said.
Sundqvist suffered the injury during practice on Sunday, and Armstrong said he would not play Thursday vs. Minnesota and would not go on the road trip to Calgary and Vancouver over the weekend.
Armstrong said that the Blues would roll with 22 healthy players on their active roster instead of recalling a replacement from AHL affiliate Springfield.
“I felt bad for him, but he’s such an upbeat guy, and again, this isn’t something we’re concerned about,” Armstrong said. “Week to week is more like a week. So, yeah, I feel bad for him because he continually puts the work in and one day, his luck is going to turn the other way.”
Sundqvist was set to center the fourth line between Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker, but that job likely belongs to Nick Bjugstad now. Bjugstad figured to be the right wing on the third line with Jake Neighbours and Brayden Schenn, but is a natural center.
Mathieu Joseph could slide into that spot alongside Neighbours and Schenn.
Sundqvist was entering this season healthy for the first time in a while after recovering from a knee injury last summer. The 31-year-old veteran had six goals and 14 assists in 67 games for the Blues last season.
Perhaps one of the most encouraging things about this preseason was that the Blues have put last year’s magical late run firmly behind them.
Lucic can still sign a contract with the Blues, or the club can sign him to a 10-day PTO that would allow him to practice with the team but not play in any games.
Ellis was going to be the Springfield Thunderbirds’ starting goaltender if the Blues would have been able to send him to the AHL.
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Matthew DeFranks | Post-Dispatch
Hockey reporter
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