Just when things appeared to be going fairly well for the Blues, Alexander Steen landed awkwardly on his shoulder/arm after a hit from Coyotes defenseman Kevin Connauton. Steen left the game and the team is now saying he will be placed on IR with an upper-body injury and will be evaluated in four weeks.
Steen’s injury is a huge blow to the Blues. Vladimir Tarasenko leads the Blues in points with 51, but Steen is just behind him with 47. Offensively, he’s a major loss, but it’s important to remember all of the other things Steen brings to the table for the Blues. He is the team’s best forechecker. He’s a great penalty killer. There are a long list of intangibles which praise the constant pressure and work ethic he uses on the opposition.
Like the Jaden Schwartz injury, there is no replacement for Steen. The Blues do have some nice depth they can call on, but there’s no one on the roster who plays quite like Steen.
The Blues have had to weather plenty of injuries this season. Here’s hoping they can survive one more massive blow before the playoffs.
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