St. Louis forward TJ Oshie will replace rookie Vladimir Tarasenko in the Blues’ lineup for tonight’s series-opener against the Kings at the Scottrade Center.
Oshie last played on March 28. A couple of weeks ago, he underwent a procedure to fix a stress fracture in his ankle. Prior to the injury, the 26-year-old has seven goals and 13 assists in 30 games.
Despite the lineup move, Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said he expects Tarasenko to play at some point during the series.
“He’s played his best hockey when he’s been rested, so we expect him to come into this series and be a rested player,” Hitchcock said, per NHL.com’s Lou Korac.
Tarasenko, 21, netted five goals in his first seven games with the Blues, but scored just three more times in his next 31 outings.