Zach Sanford will miss five to six months with a dislocated left shoulder he sustained in training camp, while defenseman Jay Bouwmeester will be re-evaluated in three weeks after suffering a left ankle fracture.
Sanford, who will need surgery, was injured on the first day of training camp.
“That one’s tough, I feel really bad for him,” Blues Head Coach Mike Yeo said of Sanford. “He worked hard this summer and you could see physically, he looked more ready and more prepared for the NHL game. He looked bigger, stronger. He had a tough break. I was really excited about his potential for us this year, and now he’s got some work ahead of him, but his season’s not over. If he can put in the work and get through the surgery and rehab properly, then you never know… it’s certainly a big blow.”
“(Bouwmeester) is a big part of our group,” Yeo added. “But part of the reason we were talking about (Jordan) Schmaltz, (Nate) Prosser, (Jake) Walman and (Vince) Dunn – we knew you always need depth. You need guys that are going to have to come in and play games for you, whether it’s September or October or later in the season. It’s up to these guys right now to see who is going to solidify their position. Some of the guys we have in our group are going to have to step up.
“Injuries are part of the game and we have capable players. We’ll get through it.”
