The St. Louis Blues received devastating news on Tuesday morning. Blues defender Torey Krug will miss the 2024-25 season after electing to undergo season-ending ankle surgery before training camp. It was a difficult decision for the veteran rearguard to make. And it's one that leaves his future up in the air.
Krug met with reporters on Wednesday to speak about his upcoming surgery. Krug acknowledged that this procedure will make him feel better in his day to day life. However, he had a tough time predicting how the rest of his playing career will unfold from here.
“We don’t really know that to be honest, it’s just something that I gotta take care of and kind of take it day by day, week by week, month by month and go from there,” Krug said, via Sportsnet. “Looking forward I can’t forecast too much. Just gotta stay in the moment.”
Blues' Torey Krug has dealt with ankle injury for years
Ankle issues for Torey Krug are unfortunately nothing new. In fact, the initial injury occurred six years ago while the Royal Oak, Michigan native played for the Boston Bruins. He tried to play through the injury while pursuing non-surgical remedies for the pain. However, the pain continued to get worse as the 2023-24 campaign went on.
The Blues defenseman did mention that playing hockey helped the injury some. His skates stabilized the ankle, which helped the pain. In saying this, he could not participate in regular practices leading into the season. And the pain eventually began affecting him on the ice late in the season.
St. Louis may have anticipated losing Krug at some point this summer. The Blues signed Philip Broberg to a two-year contract in NHL Free Agency recently. Additionally, the team added defensemen Ryan Suter and Pierre-Olivier Joseph to provide further depth on the blueline.
Krug became emotional when talking about not being there for his teammates. The veteran rearguard mentioned that the support group provided by the locker room was beneficial. And he wants to be in the locker room to support them as they have done for him.
“I think that’s [a big part of it], the people that are around you,” the Blues defender said through tears, via Sportsnet. “The Blues have been amazing, my teammates have been great. So I’ll be around for sure. That’s what I’ve known and loved for so long.”
Krug was entering the fifth season of a seven-year contract he signed with the Blues back in 2020. His $6.5 million salary likely comes off the books once St. Louis places him on long-term injured reserve. Hopefully, Krug can make a full recovery from this surgery and return to the ice without any complications.
Follow Us
Subscribe
