Losing Robert Thomas for approximately six weeks with a fractured ankle isn’t welcome news for the St. Louis Blues, but Head Coach Drew Bannister said making up for his absence will have to be a team effort as his club begins a four-game road trip Thursday in Toronto (6 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports Network, 101 ESPN).
“It’s unfortunate news for the team and for Robby, too, but it’s a great opportunity for our team to build,” Bannister said after Wednesday’s team practice at Centene Community Ice Center. “We’re going to need guys to step up in certain roles, and there are a lot of guys capable in there of doing different things. It’s going to be a team effort, not one player.
“Everybody’s role is going to increase right now. This is a great opportunity for us to really grab as a team and play together.”
The Blues held an optional skate on Thursday morning in Toronto, so we won’t know what the lines will look like until warm-ups.
Here's what we know right now:
- Brayden Schenn, who has been playing on the third line, will likely move up in the lineup with Thomas out.
- Oskar Sundqvist will return after being activated from injured reserve on Wednesday. Sundqvist sustained a torn ACL injury and has been out since March.
- Alexey Toropchenko was skating on the fourth line Wednesday and looks ready to re-enter the lineup after missing two games with a lower-body injury.
- Scott Perunovich will play his first game of the season, replacing Matthew Kessel on the third defense pairing.
- Jordan Binnington will start in goal.
