Fabbri out for season with ACL injury

Second-year forward tore the ligament in left knee 

Saturday; Blues recall Agostino, Paajarvi from Wolves

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- The Blues' challenge for the remainder of the season when it was disclosed on Sunday that second-year forward Robby Fabbri will be lost for the remainder of the season after tearing the left ACL in his left knee in Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Blues have recalled forwards Kenny Agostino and Magnus Paajarvi from the Chicago Wolves as the Blues left for Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon to begin a five-game road trip.

Robby Fabbri

The Blues say that Fabbri is expected to be ready for the start of training camp, but in speaking with a player that dealt with similar injuries, it could be a 6-8 month process based on rehabilitation, pain tolerance as the athlete has to have cartilage broken down on an almost daily basis following surgery and rehabilitation, the fitness level of the athlete and assuming when doctors are able to perform surgery, no other structural or minor damage is found.

Fabbri was injured when he was checked into the boards along the Blues' bench by Penguins center Carter Rowney with 11 minutes, 18 seconds remaining in the first period. He went down in immediate pain and needed to be helped off the ice; he had 18 goals and 19 assists in 72 games his rookie season last season.

Fabbri, 21, is in his second season with the Blues and finishes with 11 goals and 18 assists in 51 games; he failed to score in the past 16 games. He registered his first NHL hat trick on Dec. 28 against the Flyers in a 6-3 win.

Agostino, signed to a one-year, two-way contract last offseason, leads the American Hockey League with 60 points on 18 goals and 42 assists in 48 games. The only NHL experience Agostino has is 10 games with the Calgary Flames.

Paajarvi, who signed a one-year, one-way contract last offseason, has six goals and 10 assists in 25 games with the Wolves. Paajarvi has been up and down in the BLues organization multiple times but has 279 games of NHL experience.

The Blues (25-22-5) entered play Sunday two points out of a wildcard in the Western Conference playoff race and three points behind the Nashville Predators for third place in the Central Division.