The St. Louis Blues may have some good news on the injury front. Veteran centre Oskar Sundqvist expects to begin the regular season on the roster following an ACL injury.
Good News From 101 ESPN
On Friday on 101 ESPN, Blues insider Jeremy Rutherford reported that Sundqvist feels he will be healthy enough to start the season. Sundqvist tore his ACL in a late-season game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Generally speaking, recovering from an ACL injury takes six-nine months. The start of training camp in September is about six months after the injury occurred. As such, it is certainly not a tall order for Sundqvist to expect himself to be ready to start the season. Furthermore, even if he does not return right away at the beginning of camp, he could still return and get some work in before the season starts.
A Returning Sundqvist Could Be A Boost For A Team With Other Injury Concerns
Sundqvist is not the only Blue dealing with an injury. Defenceman Torey Krug was diagnosed with arthritis last month. Furthermore, he could miss the entire season. Krug will be re-evaluated in a few weeks to determine how much time he will miss.
The potential of losing Krug has already shaken up the Blues plans for this season. If the team is able to get Sundqvist back, that will be one less hole to fill. Furthermore, Sundqvist is a veteran who has played 426 NHL games. As the Blues continue their retool, Sundqvist’s veteran presence is an asset to the Blues and younger players who make their way to the NHL roster. Sundqvist is a respected player in the locker room and is loved by Blues fans.
Sundqvist’s Return Would Allow For Roster Flexibility
The Blues are not short on depth on their roster. Returning players like Alexey Toropchenko, Nathan Walker, and Nikita Alexandrov are options on the roster. In addition, the team made various moves this summer to bring more forwards to the team. The Blues re-signed Kasperi Kapanen. Furthermore, they made multiple trades and brought in centre Alexandre Texier, centre Radek Faksa, and winger Mathieu Joseph. Should Sundqvist not be ready and miss the start of the season, there are plenty of options to fill in. This does not even include young players like Zachary Bolduc, Zach Dean, and Dalibor Dvorsky.
However, if Sundqvist is able to play, the Blues have more roster flexibility. Sundqvist can centre one of the bottom-six lines. Faksa would likely centre the other. The Blues would then be able to place the others where they fit best. Kapenan, Texier, Faksa, and Joseph are veterans who can play wherever the team needs them. However, while young players like Bolduc and Dean had small NHL time last season, the Blues may not want to slide them in a role that they may not be ready for. Dvorsky, meanwhile, has not played a NHL game. These younger players could be ready for a full-time NHL role, but it would better for their development to ease into it instead of being inserted into the fire because of an injury. Furthermore, if some of these young players were ready for the NHL, Sundqvist would be an excellent mentor to play alongside.
Bottom-Six With Sundqvist
Due to the depth of forwards, the Blues have multiple bottoms-six options. If Sundqvist is able to play, this is how the bottom-six may look:
Third Line
Joseph-Faksa-Kapenan
Fourth Line
Texier-Sundqvist-Toropochenko
Analysis Of Bottom-Six
These line combinations give the initial nod to veteran players. This gives players like Bolduc, Dean, and Dvorsky more time to develop in the minor leagues. However, should these players prove ready, they may challenge some veterans for the line spots.
Sundqvist Is A Big Piece Of The Blues Puzzle
Sundqvist has been a key member of the team since coming over in a 2017 trade. He has been a reliable defensive forward who can chip in on offence when needed.
A healthy Sundqvist gives the Blues the opportunity to send out the best team possible to start the season. The fact that he feels ready in early August is a sign that this hope may be a reality.
Main Photo: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
