St. Louis Blues’ Brandon Saad is out Thursday vs Devils with an upper-body injury

St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube announced Wednesday that forward Brandon Saad will not play against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday as he has an upper-body injury.

Saad was injured in the second period of Tuesday night’s 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers; he logged 9:32 of ice time and did not return for the third period. The 30-year-old has registered 22 points (15 goals, seven assists) in 46 games this season.

Saad signed a five-year, $22.5 million contract with the Blues as a free agent on July 29, 2021; the contract holds an average annual value of $4.5 million. During his first season with the Blues, Saad tallied 49 points (24 goals, 25 assists) in 78 games, adding five points in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games. The two-time Stanley Cup champion could return to the lineup as early as Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche.

Additionally, Berube also noted that defenseman Torey Krug is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury and is questionable for Thursday’s game against the Devils. Krug was also injured in Tuesday’s contest versus the Panthers and picked up an assist before being hurt. Krug was kept out of the lineup for most of January due to a lower body aliment; it’s unclear whether this injury is the same. Krug has 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in 37 games this season. Krug is currently in year three of a seven-year, $45 million contract he signed with the Blues in 2020; his contract holds an AAV of $6.5 million.

The Blues currently sit sixth in the Central Divison with a record of 25-25-3.