The St. Louis Blues announced that veteran defenseman Torey Krug has “suffered a right-foot injury while training for the upcoming 2023-24 season,” and will be re-evaluated on October 1st.
Based on the Blues’ announcement, the timeline of this injury means that Krug will miss a chunk of time at the start of training camp, stretching through the team’s first few preseason games. It’s certainly not an ideal situation for Krug.
However, it is at least somewhat encouraging that the team did not offer a longer timeline for Krug’s absence, leaving room for optimism that he could be in far better shape health-wise around the time of his re-evaluation.
Of course, with the limited amount of information the Blues provided, it’s also certainly possible that Krug’s injury is more severe than this announcement makes it initially seem.
The inclusion of just a re-evaluation date but no firmer timeline does, after all, also allow for the possibility of a more extended absence.
What this injury means for the Blues’ defense isn’t entirely clear until the full extent of Krug’s absence is revealed.
Assuming Krug is ready for opening night, he’ll likely resume the top-four role he’s played in Blues coach Craig Berube’s blueline throughout his time in St. Louis.
But if he’s out for a more extended period, that could mean that a player like Scott Perunovich steps into a larger role on St. Louis’ defense early in the year. It would be an interesting twist for Perunovich, 25, to gain a greater NHL opportunity due to an injury to a teammate after his own injuries laid waste to his development over the last few seasons.
He plays an up-tempo offensive game that’s reminiscent of Krug’s and would be the best option among the Blues’ depth defensemen to replicate his style of game. But until more information comes to light about Krug’s injury, whether Perunovich (or another Blues defenseman) will get a chance to play a bigger role is still ultimately a mystery.
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