Toropchenko expected to be sidelined until December

Alexey Toropchenko will miss the start of the 2022-23 season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery.
Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong provided the update during a media conference call to discuss
the departure of Assistant Coach Jim Montgomery
and the
addition of Craig MacTavish to the coaching staff
.
Armstrong said Toropchenko would "probably be out until early December."

"It's a tough blow," Armstrong said. "It's one of those (injuries) where he could have potentially played with it and got injured again, then you're looking at a four- to five-month surgery… We didn't want to get into training camp, then all of a sudden on Nov. 1, it happens and he misses a whole year. We just thought it was prudent to get it taken care of now so it's strong when he comes back and he doesn't have to worry about it."
Toropchenko started the 2021-22 season with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds but ended up playing 28 regular-season games for the Blues before appearing in all 12 of the club's Stanley Cup Playoff games.
"He went from a call-up player, to a regular player, to a player Craig (Berube) would use higher up in the lineup," Armstrong said of Toropchenko. "Size, skat(ing), physical, great team guy. It's strange to say for a guy that's (played) less than 40 or 50 games or whatever it is, but we're going to miss him in October and November and we can't wait for him to get back."