Blues' Thomas out at least 6 weeks with fractured ankle

St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas will be re-evaluated in six weeks after suffering a fractured ankle Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets.

Thomas appeared to suffer the injury by blocking a Neal Pionk point shot, though he did return for a couple of shifts afterward.

"Unfortunate news," head coach Drew Bannister said, according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford. "The timing of it, I thought he played a great game last night. It's going to be a team effort, not one player. ... You can't make up for the player, but as a group, we can make up for it."

Thomas led the Blues with a career-high 86 points last season and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. The 25-year-old has managed six points in seven games this year.

He's once again been centering St. Louis' top line in 2024-25, most recently between Jordan Kyrou and Brandon Saad.

The Blues' depth down the middle will be tested in Thomas' absence. They're already playing Pavel Buchnevich - a winger for the majority of his career - as the second-line center. Brayden Schenn and Radek Faksa have been centering the third and fourth lines, respectively.

Dylan Holloway, Zachary Bolduc, and Alexandre Texier are options from the active roster to shift from wing to the middle. Top center prospect Dalibor Dvorsky, who's tallied four points in five AHL games so far, could be a recall candidate.

St. Louis also activated center Oskar Sundqvist from injured reserve on Wednesday. He hasn't played since suffering a torn ACL in March.