Logan Mailloux took a notable step forward on Tuesday, getting back on the ice for a solo skate before the St. Louis Blues’ team practice.
The 23-year-old defenseman is only three weeks into an eight-week recovery window after undergoing hand surgery, so he’s still not close to a return. Even so, seeing him skating again marks progress after a stretch that has kept him out since the preseason.
Mailloux suffered the injury in a fight during the preseason finale against the Chicago Blackhawks. At the time, he was told to expect a re-evaluation in eight weeks, which puts him well short of that mark for now. He remains on injured reserve.
According to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, Mailloux skated on his own before practice. It’s the first indication that he has resumed skating, though the exact work he did on the ice wasn’t revealed.
Given where he is in the timeline, this was likely more about getting him moving and back on his skates than anything hockey-specific. Since he’s still less than halfway through the expected recovery period, he likely can’t yet fully use the hand that was injured.
For the Blues, it’s still another name on a growing injury list. Since the season opened on Oct. 2, they’ve also been dealing with injuries to Alexey Toropchenko, Dillon Dube, and Ross Johnston. Before the season even started, they had already lost Tyler Tucker and Mailloux.
That’s made for a difficult start health-wise, but Mailloux’s return to skating is at least a small sign that his comeback is moving in the right direction.
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