Jaden Schwartz is expected to miss at least the next six weeks after suffering an injury to his right ankle against the Detroit Red Wings. The injury occurred when Schwartz blocked a shot off of the inside of his right skate.
As a result, the Blues have placed Schwartz on the IR and have called up Ivan Barbashev.
This injury is a tough one to swallow. Schwartz has not only been one of the best players for the Blues this season, but he has also been one of the best players in the NHL. He was named the league’s third star for the month of October.
When he suffered the injury, Schwartz was ninth in the NHL with 35 points. Skating with Vladimir Tarasenko and Brayden Schenn, Schwartz has been one of the most consistent players both on offense and in his relentless pursuit of the puck.
Unfortunately, injuries have become a bit of a common theme in his career. Last season he suited up in 78 games, but in 2015-16 he was limited to just 33. One has to wonder where his career scoring totals would be if he was able to maintain a cleaner bill of health.
With 14 goals and 21 assists, Schwartz was well on his way to surpassing last year’s totals of 19 goals and 36 assists. Now missing a large chunk of the season, he may not blow past last year’s numbers as many expected.
How will the Blues cope while Schwartz is out? Unfortunately, there aren’t any easy solutions. The Blues don’t have any other players on the roster who can do what Schwartz does night in and night out. He can’t be replaced.
Barbashev will get the first crack at trying to fill in, but he’ll need to play more like he did last year rather than how he has played this year if he hopes to stick around.
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