Blues' Gunnarsson done for season after tearing ACL

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues earned a major victory on Friday night, defeating the Vancouver Canucks to move within one point of a Western Conference playoff spot. They also suffered a significant loss, though, as the team announced following the game that defenseman Carl Gunnarsson will miss the remainder of the season after suffering an ACL tear in his left knee.

Gunnarsson suffered the injury during the first period of the Blues’ 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. After leaving the ice, Gunnarsson was evaluated by Blues physicians before being taken to Barnes West County Hospital, where an MRI revealed the tear. He will undergo surgery once the swelling in his knee subsides and will be re-evaluated in six months.

The 31-year-old Gunnarsson has dressed in 63 games for the Blues this season, collecting five goals and four assists with 22 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound defenseman is currently in his fourth season with the Blues after they acquired him via trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 28, 2014. Overall, the Orebro, Sweden, native has appeared in 556 career NHL regular season games, amassing 122 points (25 goals, 97 assists) and 151 penalty minutes.

With Gunnarsson out of the picture, Jordan Schmaltz figures to draw into the Blues' lineup. The team could also recall a defenseman in the coming days; the club has only three defensemen -- Chris Butler, Tommy Vannelli and Jake Walman -- who are currently playing at the AHL level.