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ST. LOUIS - Joel Edmundson is ready to return the lineup nearly a full week earlier than originally anticipated.
After Thursday's practice, Edmundson declared himself ready to go after missing 13 games with a broken forearm that was expected to keep him out of the lineup for at least six weeks.

Edmundson sustained the injury on Feb. 8 in a 6-1 win against the Colorado Avalanche at Scottrade Center. He played just four shifts (2 minutes, 55 seconds) before blocking a shot from Avalanche forward Nail Yakupov.
"I saw a one-timer coming, and like I do, I went down for a block and it hit my elbow pad, but it kind of found a weak spot," Edmundson told stlouisblues.com. "It snapped my arm there and the doctors took good care of me and I was in surgery before the game was even over. Everything happened pretty fast. It's been a long five weeks of watching hockey and doing lots of recovery, but it's nice to be back."

The injury required immediate surgery from Dr. Charles Goldfarb, Dr. Rick Wright and Dr. Matt Smith of Washington University Orthopedics and Barnes Jewish Hospital.
Before the injury, Edmundson had played in 56 games this season and had already set a new career high with six goals and a career-best 15 points.
"Eddie adds a lot for our group. A big, physical presence - a guy that's really hard to play against," Blues Head Coach Mike Yeo said. "He's a warrior for us. He goes out, he competes hard every night and lays it on the line for us. He's a guy you can trust and you know he's going to give you everything he's got."
"The coaches have been doing a good job of putting me in some situations in practice that make me feel comfortable playing physical, playing my game again," Edmundson said. "I feel good and I'm excited to get back out there…. I think the next 12 or 13 games, every game is going to be a playoff mentality. We're making that push for a wild card and playoff spot, so we know we have to take every game as if its a playoff game. In our dressing room, all the boys are excited for that challenge and I'm excited to hop in and help the boys out."