Blues' O'Reilly, Tarasenko to miss multiple weeks with injuries

St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly and star winger Vladimir Tarasenko were placed on injured reserve Monday and will remain sidelined for the foreseeable future.

O'Reilly's broken foot will be re-evaluated in six weeks, while Tarasenko will be on the shelf for at least four weeks with a hand ailment, the team announced.

"Injuries are part of the profession, part of the game," general manager Doug Armstrong said. "Winning people and winning organizations don’t dwell on what they don't have. Guys who have been (wanting) more ice time are going to get it."

Both forwards are pending unrestricted free agents and could become targets at the March 3 trade deadline if St. Louis can't tread water without a pair of top-six fixtures.

O'Reilly has struggled to produce this season, managing only 16 points in 37 games, but he's built a reputation as one of the league's premier two-way centers. He won the Selke Trophy and Conn Smythe when the Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019.

Tarasenko has notched 29 points in 2022-23 but only 10 goals. The veteran sniper is well-known for his ability to score, eclipsing the 30-goal mark six times in his 11-year career.

Here's how St. Louis lined up in its first practice since the injury news.

The 17-17-3 Blues were already facing an uphill battle to make the playoffs before losing O'Reilly and Tarasenko. St. Louis currently sits five points back of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference and seven points back of third place in the Central.