Lehtera placed on IR, Schwartz close

Center was injured Saturday against Rangers; 

left wing has missed four games with elbow injury

By LOU KORAC
The Blues have placed Jori Lehtera on injured-reserve after the center sustained an upper-body injury Saturday against the New York Rangers.

Jori Lehtera

Lehtera, 28, was injured midway through the second period retrieving a puck in his defensive zone corner when he was checked into the boards by Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey; he finished his shift and never returned.

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said Monday that there was a chance Lehtera would join the team in the latter portion of the three-game trip but would not join them initially.

The Blues are home next week for three games.

The move to put Lehtera on IR is a good indication the Blues are about to activate left wing Jaden Schwartz, who's missed the first four games with a hyperextended left elbow sustained in practice on Sept. 29.

Schwartz accompanied the Blues on their three-game Western Canada swing and is likely to return Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers.

Center Kyle Brodziak and defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who also left Saturday's 3-2 victory with upper-body injuries, accompanied the team and continue to be day-to-day. Both missed Tuesday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks.