Livescore
The Blues are going to be without one of their key forwards, as captain Ryan O’Reilly was placed on injured reserve on Jan. 2 with a broken foot.
O’Reilly, 31, has been one of the team’s top centers since joining the organization back in 2018, but is in the middle of a down year, along with the team. This year, he had played in all 37 of St. Louis’ games until his injury.
On the season, he has 10 goals and six assists while averaging 18:16 time on ice, the lowest in his five-year career in St. Louis. In addition, he has not been as efficient in the faceoff dot, which is typically one of his strengths. His 53.4 faceoff win percentage is the lowest mark in his time with the Blues.
To make matters worse, at the same time of O’Reilly’s injury, it was also announced that winger Vladimir Tarasenko would be placed on injured reserve with a hand injury.
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Here are the latest updates on O’Reilly’s injuries.
What is Ryan O’Reilly’s injury?
The Blues stated that O’Reilly is out with a broken foot. The last game he played in was on Saturday, Dec. 31 against the Wild.
While the team did not say exactly when or how the injury happened, O’Reilly blocked a shot during a penalty kill in the second period of the contest against Minnesota. He took a slap shot off the ankle from Wild defenseman Calen Addison and appeared to be hobbled as a result.
No confirmation this is where the injury to Ryan O’Reilly (broken foot) happened, but a big shot block on the penalty kill in the second period vs. Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/ZnbB517vGo
— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) January 2, 2023
O’Reilly finished the contest, logging 19:09 minutes on the ice, and reportedly told teammate Pavel Buchnevich that it was “just a bruise.”
However, three days later, he was placed on injured reserve.
“I got the information that (O’Reilly) came into the rink and wasn’t feeling great,” GM Doug Armstrong said on Jan. 2. “We sent him down to get some pictures taken, and it came back a little bit more serious than we were hoping it was going to be.”
How long will Ryan O’Reilly be out?
St. Louis announced that O’Reilly’s foot would be re-evaluated in six weeks.
The Blues will have to navigate the rest of January and a good portion of February without their captain. Given the timeline from the team, it is possible that O’Reilly could return ahead of the March 3 trade deadline.
Ryan O’Reilly’s contract details
O’Reilly is in the final year of his seven-year, $52 million contract he signed when he was a member of the Sabres in 2015. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Prior to his injury, O’Reilly could have been a prime candidate for the Blues to move at the trade deadline. The team is currently on the outside of the playoff picture and contract extension talks with O’Reilly have seemingly been non-existent at this point. With the club looking to “re-tool”, getting something for O’Reilly at the deadline would have been big for St. Louis’ future.
However, with O’Reilly out at least six weeks, it’s likely he will finish this season still a member of the Blues organization. Injuries have been a deterrent for buyers at the deadline in the past, and O’Reilly would just be coming back from the broken foot if all goes as planned.
Whether O’Reilly re-signs or tests free-agency will be determined at a later date.
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