Robert Thomas will be back in the St. Louis Blues lineup on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Wild after missing 12 games with a fractured ankle.
Thomas suffered the injury blocking a shot against the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 22. He went on the injured reserve a day later, and the Blues announced that he would be reevaluated in four to six weeks. His Tuesday return will be just shy of four weeks.
“It’s frustrating being out, but I invested a lot in myself and I’m pretty happy with the result and getting back so soon,” Thomas said. “I’m excited to be back in the lineup and looking forward to getting in the trenches with the guys.”
Thomas returned to the ice last week to skate with the Blues. He then accompanied the club on its three-game road trip to Buffalo, Boston and Carolina but didn’t play. He said Tuesday he wasn’t necessarily targeting such an early return but began feeling good enough to consider it.
“Just a day-by-day approach,” Thomas said. “I started to feel better the last couple of days and got to a point where I was comfortable enough for everyone that I was ready to go.
“Obviously things can happen, but it’s at a level where both me and the doctors are comfortable, and that’s the main thing.”
Thomas centered the Blues’ top line in Tuesday’s morning skate, with Pavel Buchnevich on left wing and Jordan Kyrou on right wing.
“Just watching the last couple of games, I think those two have been playing really well,” Thomas said. “They’ve been creating turnovers. They’ve been getting lots of chances. In the Boston game, it looked like (Kyrou) hit the post four times in four shifts. Those are going to start going in for him.
“I think just speed, being all over the puck, supporting each other, being confident and making plays, that’s part of our game when we’re at our best and that’s something I’m hoping to bring to them.”
Thomas was also running the point position on the team’s No. 1 power play.
“It’s just a little bit of an adjustment that we’re going to make,” Blues coach Drew Bannister said. “I think you’re going to see a lot more movement at the top. He won’t be up there all the time, but he’ll start there.”
The Blues are 4-7-1 without Thomas in the lineup and 4-3-0 with him.
“Yesterday he came in and had a great skate,” Bannister said. “He feels comfortable, the doctors are comfortable and he’s ready to go.”
(Photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
