Torey Krug expected to return against former team

The St. Louis Blues are expected to get defenseman Torey Krug back into the lineup tonight, somewhat ironically against the Boston Bruins.

It’s Krug’s first game against Boston since he departed for St. Louis in free agency. While it’s his second season in St. Louis, the Blues didn’t meet the Bruins last year due to the COVID-restricted 2020-21 schedule. Krug last played on March 22nd, leaving the team’s game against Washington with an upper-body injury.

When in the lineup this season, he and Justin Faulk have exceeded expectations as a high-end first pairing in the NHL. Krug was extremely productive prior to his injury with 35 points in 57 games, and his +24 rating is second on the team behind Faulk’s +36.

With that, Nick Leddy, who had been playing with Faulk since his acquisition, will likely slide onto a pairing with Colton Parayko, giving the Blues a much more solidified top-four defense going into a likely playoff series against Minnesota.