SPRINGFIELD, Mass. 鈥 AHL affiliate Springfield welcomed two players back to the lineup Friday night: defenseman Tyler Tucker and forward Simon Robertsson.
Tucker missed the previous six games with a lower-body injury but skated during Springfield鈥檚 morning skate Friday. Had he not been injured, Tucker would have been a candidate to be recalled to the NHL due to the Blues鈥 injuries on the blue line.
鈥淗e鈥檚 ready to go, so obviously that鈥檚 a huge part for us with the physical play and the veteran experience,鈥 Konowalchuk said.
Robertsson missed the last four games with a lower-body injury. He also was out for the first five games of the AHL season while he dealt with an injury suffered during Blues training camp.
鈥淗e鈥檚 one of our young guys that down the stretch can be a very big player for us,鈥 Konowalchuk said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 had two different stints with an injury that鈥檚 slowed him down. We want to get him in there and get him feeling confident. I thought his last game before his injury, he started to get the North American game and the way we need to play and get his legs under him.鈥
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Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker fights with Chaminade product Brady Tkachuk of the Senators in the second period Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, at Enterprise Center.
Even in getting Tucker and Robertsson back in the lineup, the Thunderbirds are still without forwards Zach Dean and Mackenzie MacEachern.
Dean is a long-term absence with a lower-body injury. Konowalchuk said Dean would be back before the season ends, and when asked whether that meant February or March, he said 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping sooner, but it鈥檒l be a little bit.鈥
Dean played just three games before he got hurt.
鈥淭he game he got hurt, it really looked like he was settling in with the compete and tenacity to go with his hockey sense that he needs to get ready for the NHL,鈥 Konowalchuk said. 鈥淎n unfortunate setback, but we do expect him to be back at some point this season. It鈥檒l be good for him, and good for our team.鈥
MacEachern has not played since Oct. 20, and Friday was the ninth game he missed due to an upper-body injury.
鈥淣ot sure on his timeline, but he鈥檚 obviously a big part of our team when he鈥檚 in there,鈥 Konowalchuk said.
Schueneman called up
The Blues switched out defensemen on Friday, sending Leo Loof back to AHL affiliate Springfield and recalling Corey Schueneman.
Loof was recalled before the road trip as the seventh defenseman, and was a healthy scratch Thursday night in Buffalo. Schueneman, 29, has played 31 career games in the NHL and had five points in 13 games for Springfield this season.
The Blues signed Schueneman as a free agent over the summer.
鈥淗e鈥檚 steady eddy on the ice,鈥 Springfield coach Steve Konowalchuk said. 鈥淔irst pass (is good), win battles, he鈥檚 a tough hockey player because he gets in there and wins battles. He鈥檚 not a big guy that blows you up, but he鈥檚 tough because he鈥檒l get in a battle and he鈥檒l move the puck up. Good penalty killer.
鈥淗e鈥檚 right there with our leaders as far as our leadership group. He鈥檚 really led by example and goes out and plays the way he needs to lead, but he also has a voice in that locker room. He鈥檚 been a big part of our team.鈥
During Thursday鈥檚 4-3 overtime loss to the Sabres, the Blues finished the game without Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Scott Perunovich. 最新杏吧原创 was already without Philip Broberg (lower-body), Nick Leddy (lower-body) and Torey Krug (out for the season, ankle surgery).
