The St. Louis Blues are limping into December, both in the standings and on the injury report.
After a chaotic week that featured a heated exchange between goaltender Jordan Binnington and head coach Jim Montgomery, the hits just keep coming-literally and figuratively. The latest blow?
Forward Nathan Walker is heading to injured reserve with an upper-body injury and won’t be re-evaluated for another eight weeks.
That news came directly from Blues GM Doug Armstrong, who confirmed the setback on Tuesday. It’s another tough loss for a team already struggling to stay afloat in the Western Conference.
Walker may not be a household name, but he’s carved out a valuable role in the Blues’ bottom six. Since joining the team during the 2019-20 season, the England-born, Australia-raised forward has brought energy, grit, and depth to a roster that’s now increasingly thin. With Walker sidelined, the Blues lose a dependable piece of their forward rotation-one who’s known more for his work ethic and hustle than flashy numbers, but whose absence will still be felt.
This marks the third forward injury for the Blues in just a matter of days. Top prospect Jimmy Snuggerud underwent wrist surgery, a tough break for the 2022 first-rounder who was already off to a slow start offensively.
The Minnesota product was expected to push for NHL minutes this season, but that timeline just got longer. Meanwhile, Alexey Toropchenko is also out with an off-ice injury, further depleting the forward group.
Injuries are part of the game, but when they come in bunches-especially to a team already searching for answers-they can be devastating. And right now, the Blues are feeling it.
The bottom six, already a weak spot, is now even more vulnerable. That’s not a recipe for success in a league where depth often makes the difference between contending and collapsing.
Beyond the injuries, the tension within the locker room is becoming harder to ignore. The shouting match between Binnington and Montgomery wasn’t just a flare-up-it was a snapshot of a team under pressure.
Last season, Montgomery helped stabilize the ship when things got rocky. This year, the dynamic feels different.
The Blues are closer to the basement-dwelling Predators than they are to sniffing a wild card spot, and internal frustrations are starting to spill into the open.
There’s still time to right the ship, but the margin for error is shrinking fast. The Blues need more than just bodies back-they need cohesion, consistency, and a spark that’s been missing through the first two months of the season.
They’ll try to find that spark on Thursday when they hit the road to face the Boston Bruins. It won’t be easy, especially with a depleted lineup, but if there’s ever a time to show some fight, it’s now.