ST. Louis – Torey Krug should not play in the NHL, said St. Louis Blues, Doug Armstrong.
The 34-year-old defender missed the 2024-25 season after the Blues announced on September 3 that he would have left ankle surgery.
“I don’t expect him to play again,” said Armstrong on Tuesday. “Now, he hopes that I am wrong, I hope that I am wrong and he pushes, but the surgery he had was very, very invasive.”
Krug has received a diagnosis of pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle. The Blues said on July 16 that it would be reassessed in 6 to 8 weeks after working in the rehabilitation of the injury by non -surgical interventions.
It was obvious that Krug would need a major procedure and known at the time that his playing career could be in danger. The injury is a cumulative result of a bone fracture suffered earlier in his career with Boston Bruins.
“I don’t really think there is a lot of uncertainty with Torey,” said Armstrong. “I spoke to him. He was at the ice the other day. He becomes almost normal, daily life with his leg, his ankle.”
Krug spoke on September 4 before the training camp and was emotional as to the potential of his ended career.
“Thirty-three years and when you miss an entire year of hockey, obviously these things are living in you,” he said at the time. “I don’t want to look too far, but these are things you certainly think of.
“I always wanted to see my children watch me play and see how hard I work. I do not think, no matter what you do, they will see, even if it is far from the ice, how much I work, as a parent, working on the house, doing things in the courtyard, they will see.
Krug played on April 10 last time last season, when he scored a goal and was more 2:40 am in a 5-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks in Saint-Louis. He has 483 points (89 goals, 394 assists) in 13 seasons, the first nine with the Bruins before signing a 45.5 million dollars contract over seven years (average annual value of $ 6.5 million) with the blues on October 9, 2020. He played for Boston during his race in the 2019 Stanley Cup final, a loss of seven games against Saint-Louis.
“You want to win a Stanley Cup,” said Krug. “I had the chance to compete for … I went to two finals, and you do the playoffs so much and you understand what comes with work, all the injuries. There are other things that obviously come into play that I can earn a living for a family and set up your children. You don’t want to exchange this. Lots of good memories.”
