The St. Louis Blues have had the injury bug bad this season. But they may finally be in for some good news. Patrik Berglund has been cleared for contact and is inching up on a return to the lineup.
Berglund has spent the entire season on long-term injured reserve, unable to practice after undergoing surgery to repair a shoulder injury he suffered during offseason training.
“I asked (Ryan Reaves) to run me over today, but he was going pretty soft on me,” Berglund told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
He’d been cleared a few days before taking in an optional practice with the team on Monday, but with a busy post-holiday schedule, there haven’t been many opportunities to get out with the team and skate.
“I think the next step is more of endurance, see where he’s at,” coach Ken Hitchcock said, noting that the team has a schedule of getting him up to speed and hoping to see him in games again in the near future.
In 77 games last season, Berglund posted 12 goals and 27 points.
The team may also have depth center Kyle Brodziak back in the lineup as soon as Tuesday’s game against the division rival Nashville Predators.
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