"I would say, in many ways, he's a big part of our identity," St. Louis coach Mike Yeo said. "When teams think of the St. Louis Blues, I think a lot of people think about our big defenseman and how difficult they are to play against, so obviously, he's a big factor there."
Edmundson (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) left
a 6-1 win
against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday with 7:53 remaining in the first period after he was hit by a shot. He was placed on injured reserve, and Robert Bortuzzo took his place in the lineup against the Winnipeg Jets.
"Injuries happen and you need guys to come in and perform and fill in," Yeo said. "Obviously, [Bortuzzo] is a guy that we have confidence that he can do that. It's a big loss, but injuries are part of the game and we just have to move on."
Edmundson had 15 points (six goals, nine assists) and was averaging 20:15 of ice time in 56 games this season. The 24-year-old led the Blues and was fourth in the NHL with 125 blocked shots.
"Blocking shots is part of the game, but he's obviously a guy that's willing to pay the price," Yeo said. "Unfortunately, [he] took one in a bad spot."
The Blues recalled defenseman Chris Butler from San Antonio of the American Hockey League. The 31-year-old has 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 47 AHL games. He has played 388 NHL games but six in the previous two seasons.
