Blues' Parayko Listed As Probable After Missing Practice On Friday; Johnston To Play On Trip; Mailloux could join on trip, won't play

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Colton Parayko is classified as probable to play for the St. Louis Blues against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday despite the defenseman missing practice Friday with an upper-body injury.

Parayko departed a portion of the first period Thursday of a 4-1 win against the Boston Bruins but returned to finish the game and played 17:31.

"Just cautionary," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said after practice on Friday. "Just giving him a little more rest. Probable is the way I would list him. Just upper-body. We'll just see how it feels and looks tomorrow when he does his stretching and stuff like that."

Should Parayko not be able to go, Quinton Burns, a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, would make his NHL debut.

"I'm definitely looking forward to whenever I'm called upon and go in there," Burns said. "It will be a dream-come-true, something I've worked for my whole life."

Burns was recalled from Springfield of the American Hockey League last week but has yet to get the nod. But in case Parayko can't play, Montgomery is more than comfortable.

"Very comfortable," Montgomery said. "Kid had a tremendous camp. Everyone in the organization's really excited about him. He's team-first, he's a typical throwback Blue of guys that have worn No. 5 before, that's the way we see him and he also has that hockey sense and game management of understanding how to defend teammates, how to make plays, how to change momentum of games of guys that have worn No. 5 (Barret Jackman and Bob Plager) before."

Also, forward Ross Johnston, who has not played since Oct. 15 (six games) with a lower-body injury, is a possibility to return Saturday but Montgomery said of a four-game trip that Johnston "will play on the trip 100 percent.

"He was whatever, 7-10 days; not he's day to day."

Johnston's availability was made evident when the Blues assigned 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg to the Thunderbirds after Thursday's win.

And defenseman Logan Mailloux (broken hand), who has missed all 13 games this season, continues to practice regularly but Montgomery said he will not play on this trip although he could join the end of it to be around the team. Mailloux is now listed as week-to-week.

"That's the way I would label him," Montgomery said. "I think he might Be (on it) towards the end of the trip coming with the guys to be around, but he is not going to play on this trip."

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