Blues' Krug to have ankle surgery, miss next season
St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug is set to undergo surgery on his left ankle and will miss the entire 2024-25 campaign, the team announced Tuesday.
Krug attempted to rehab the pre-arthritic changes in his ankle through nonsurgical conventions, which could've allowed him to return at some point this coming season.
The 33-year-old recorded 39 points in 77 games in 2023-24 while averaging 21:58 of ice time per contest.
Krug has spent his last four seasons in St. Louis after joining as an unrestricted free agent in 2020. He still has three years left on a contract paying him $6.5 million annually, though the Blues can now place him on long-term injured reserve for the upcoming season and recoup that cap space.
The veteran's absence leaves a vacancy on the left side of St. Louis' blue line, although the team did add several left-shooting defensemen this offseason, including former Edmonton Oilers blue-liner Philip Broberg via a successful offer sheet. The club's defense projects as follows:
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Nick Leddy | Colton Parayko |
| Philip Broberg | Justin Faulk |
| Ryan Suter | Scott Perunovich (L) |
| Pierre-Olivier Joseph |
Krug's absence also leaves an opening to quarterback the team's No. 1 power-play unit. Justin Faulk and Scott Perunovich are the top candidates for that job.
A 5-foot-9 defenseman, Krug has averaged 51 points per 82 games across his 13-year career spent between the Blues and Boston Bruins.