The St. Louis Blues have announced that forward Oskar Sundqvist is considered day-to-day after suffering a lower-body injury against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The team was already missing several other forwards but this is yet one more obstacle on the way to a repeat Stanley Cup effort.
Oskar Sundqvist has been placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. The Blues have recalled Austin Poganski from San Antonio. https://t.co/k6Q5FNFA5y #stlblues
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 28, 2019
Oskar Sundqvist Out
The injury in question came during the second period when Sundqvist went into the corner to play the puck and took an awkward hit from Tampa’s Luke Schenn. You can see Sundqvist come out of the hit favouring one side slightly as he exited to the bench and to the locker room. He had scored twice to that point in the contest.
Uh oh. Oskar Sundqvist limps to the dressing room after being checked into the boards by Luke Schenn. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/2mEhjrTAmB
— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) November 28, 2019
Sundqvist had scored six goals and 10 points in 25 games prior to Wednesday evening against the Lightning. His .4 points-per-game rate would have put him on pace to nearly equal his 31-point campaign in 2018-19. There is a very real chance he can surpass that if he doesn’t miss too many games. Sundqvist was also a solid contributor in other areas as he had 40 shots, 22 hits and 12 blocks. These numerous contributions came in just 13:38 per game. An absence would hurt St. Louis in multiple areas.
What This Means for the Future
The Blues have been smashed with injuries this season. Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Steen and Sammy Blais have all hit the injured reserve with various ailments. However, the team is more than strong enough to maintain its current pace. Robert Thomas is settling down and playing better recently while Zach Sanford and Ivan Barbashev are more than capable of handling additional forecheck duties while Sundqvist recovers. The team also signed Troy Brouwer and recalled Austin Poganski to help fill out the roster. This injury is obnoxious but far from damaging given Sundqvist’s typical role on the bottom-six.
Sundqvist will be re-evaluated by the team staff upon the team’s return to St. Louis. Coach Craig Berube said that the forward will be out for a bit of time.
ST. LOUIS, MO – APRIL 04: Blues’ forward Oskar Sundqvist skates up ice with the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game between the Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks on April 4, 2018, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Tim Spyers/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
