St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug sustained a right foot injury while training for the upcoming season and will be re-evaluated on Oct. 1, the team announced Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
How does Krug’s injury impact Blues?
Not a lot, as long as Krug can return relatively close to his re-evaluation date, Oct. 1. That’s three weeks away, and there’s always the possibility that the timetable could be extended, but the Blues don’t open the regular season until Oct. 12. The club will enter training camp next week with a lot of depth on defense and should have no problem withstanding Krug’s absence. — Rutherford
What does this mean for Krug, Blues?
The Blues tried to trade Krug this summer, but it doesn’t appear they were close to moving him again. So the injury won’t scuttle anything, but it’s yet another injury for Krug, 32, who’s played in just 127 of 164 games the past two seasons. With four years left on his contract ($6.5 million AAV), any interest around the NHL would be further dwindling. — Rutherford
Who does this open the door for?
Blues GM Doug Armstrong said that his team could open the season with eight defensemen on the roster: Krug, Colton Parayko, Nick Leddy, Justin Faulk, Marco Scandella, Robert Bortuzzo, Tyler Tucker and Scott Perunovich. The player who benefits the most will be Perunovich, who can handle Krug’s power-play duty, but Tucker and Scandella will also get more opportunity. — Rutherford
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(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty)
