The St. Louis Blues are limping into December, and the timing couldn’t be worse. After a 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks that dropped them to 9-11-7 on the season, the team now faces a three-game road trip without three key components to their roster. Jimmy Snuggerud, Nathan Walker, and Alexei Toropchenko are all sidelined, and the ripple effect on the roster could be significant.
Snuggerud, the promising young forward who has shown promise this season of becoming a long-term top-six fixture, underwent wrist surgery and will be re-evaluated in six weeks. For a team already struggling to generate consistent offense, losing a player with his scoring upside is a gut punch. Snuggerud’s ability to find soft spots in coverage and create chances was becoming a bright spot in an otherwise uneven forward group. Now, the Blues will have to lean even harder on veterans who have yet to find their rhythm.