The St. Louis Blues were without defenseman Justin Faulk on Sunday night. That marked the third consecutive game the veteran defenseman missed for St. Louis. They took down the Los Angeles Kings, but after the game, the Blues received some less-than-fortunate news regarding their veteran defenseman.

Faulk is unlikely to play Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to The Hockey News. Furthermore, the veteran defenseman is expected to be shut down until the team returns from the scheduled break for the NHL All-Star Game.

“It's day-to-day, but the best thing moving forward for him is just to give him the extra time to rest and we get into the All-Star break. By the time we come out of that, he should be 100 percent ready to play,” head coach Drew Bannister said after Sunday's game, via The Hockey News.

Blues' Justin Faulk injury has lingered since December

Faulk initially suffered a lower-body injury back in late December. The veteran defenseman returned to the ice on January 13, but things didn't go so well. Faulk left his team's game last Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche and has not played a game since.

If Faulk does miss Tuesday's game, he won't have another opportunity to play for 18 days. As mentioned, though, Bannister believes the extended break could allow the veteran blueliner to recover 100%.

Faulk has had a bit of a rough season, especially compared to his output from last year. The veteran Blues defenseman has scored two goals and 19 points through 40 games this year. He is well behind the 11-goal, 50-point season he enjoyed in 2022-23.

The Blues are looking to push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. And Justin Faulk could play a major role in that push. Hopefully, he can return to the ice at 100% for the Blues sooner rather than later.