Star center has fractured right ankle in 3-2 loss against Winnipeg Jets, will be reevaluated in six weeks

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- The St. Louis Blues will be without  Robert Thomas for the foreseeable future.

The Blues' top line center was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday with a fractured right ankle, sustained in Tuesday's 3-2 loss against the Winnipeg Jets.

The Blues said Thomas, who has six points (one goal, five assists) in seven games this season and led them in assists (60) and points (86) last season while playing all 82 games, will be reevaluated in six weeks when x-rays postgame revealed the injury.

"Not the news you’re wanting when you walk into the rink this morning, but he’s our best player, he’s a guy that drives the bus for us, but at the end of the day, it’s part of the game and we’re going to need everyone to step up, myself included and we’ve got to do it collectively,” Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. “It’s more opportunity for guys to make some things happen out there. You never want to see anyone go down, let alone your star player, but this is a chance for everyone to come together and play for one another.”

At practice on Wednesday, Schenn assumed the role of No. 1 center with Brandon Saad and Oskar Sundqvist, who was a place holder for Jake Neighbours because Neighbours did not skate after taking a maintenance day.

Pavel Buchnevich centered the second line, Dylan Holloway was also centering the third line and Radek Faksa the fourth line. 

“It’s tough to obviously replace a player like that, per say,” Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said of Thomas. “I don’t know if ‘replace’ is the right word. I think there’s opportunity for guys to step in. I think that that’s been a strong suit for our team for a long time. We have good depth. Guys are able to step in and just collectively as a group push in the right direction and the strength is everybody just pushing together and battling together, good things will happen."

Not only is Thomas a top line center for the Blues, but he’s on their top power play unit and one of their top penalty killers.

Along with Schenn, Pavel Buchnevich, Dylan Holloway, Radek Faksa, and Sundqvist, who was activated off injured reserve with a torn right ACL on Wednesday, will have to assume the role and try to pick up the slack.

“You can’t make up for the player, but as a group, we can make up for it,” Blues coach Drew Bannister said. “It’s not going to be an individual player, it’s not going to be one player, it’s going to be going to be the 20 guys in the lineup pulling in the same direction and coming together as a team. … I think this is really a good opportunity for us to grab as a team and really come together.

“Unfortunate news for the team and for Robby too. The timing of it, I thought he played a great game last night up until the point of his injury, but it’s a great opportunity for our team to build as a team and once we get him back, whether it’s 4-6 weeks, but it’s important for us. We’re going to need guys to step up in certain roles. There’s a lot of guys in there capable of doing different things. It’s going to be a team effort, not one player. It’s going to be a group of us that pull together.”