Monday was a busy one for the St. Louis Blues -- the club activated defenseman Roman Polak off injured reserve, put forward Maxim Lapierre on (with a lower-body injury) and recalled forward Dmitrij Jaskon from AHL Chicago.
Polak, 27, has missed the past 10 games with a lower-body ailment of his own. The rugged Czech rearguard -- snubbed from his country’s Olympic roster -- has seven points in 34 games this year while averaging 17:25 TOI per game, leading all Blues defensemen in hits (66) while sitting third in blocked shots (68).
Lapierre, injured on a hit from Vancouver’s Dan Hamhuis last week, has six goals and nine points in 39 games this year. The former Canadien, Duck and Canuck is in his first year with the Blues, and averages around 11 minutes per night.
Jaskin, 20, was St. Louis’ second-round pick (41st overall) at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut last season and scored his first goal this year in a 6-5 Blues win over Chicago on Dec. 28.
The Blues take on the Coyotes tonight in the first of a three-game homestand. They’re looking to get back in the win column after last Friday’s 2-1 loss in Vancouver -- prior to that, the Blues had ripped off seven straight victories.