St. Louis Blues forward Scottie Upshall is slotted to miss the remainder of the year with a lacerated kidney. The injury was believed to come from a hit Upshall took during Friday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. Luke Schenn, brother of Blues star center Brayden Schenn, delivered a fairly hard hit on Upshall during the second period. Upshall struggled to get up and the team enforcer, Chris Thorburn, stepped in to defend him. While Thorburn was decisively beating Schenn in a fight, Colton Parayko was helping Upshall off the ice.

Scottie Upshall to Miss the Rest of the Year

Sources haven’t disclosed how long Upshall is expected to miss, but Blues fans shouldn’t expect to see him again this season; regardless of the length of their playoff run. This injury comes only two games after Upshall returned from a left knee injury. That news was announced in early March and he had a quicker recovery than expected.

Upshall had one assist in Thursday’s win over the Vegas Golden Knights. This was his 19 point of the year in 63 games. The 19 points trump his highest point totals as a Blue by one. Playing fourth-line minutes, Upshall has been valued for his veteran influence in the locker room. He’s at the end of another one-year stint with the Blues, a contract that he earned during a tryout with the Blues during the pre-season.

This is his third consecutive year where he’s been signed to a one-year deal. At 34, he’s inching closer and closer to retirement. With such a strong group of young players coming in, Upshall might lose his spot soon. The injuries aren’t helping this either. If he’s able to return to workouts and ice-time at the beginning of the offseason, he may be able to earn his spot back.

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