Blues defenseman Eric Brewer undergoes minor knee surgery
By Jeremy Rutherford
As it turns out, there was news developing behind the scenes with Blues defenseman Eric Brewer, although not as serious as was being rumored.
Brewer underwent arthroscopic knee surgery tonight in Vancouver, the team has confirmed.
Brewer injured his right knee while rehabbing from his second back surgery, which was in April.The surgery is expected to delay Brewer’s back rehab a few weeks, adding further uncertainty about when he’ll be able to start the 2009-10 season.
“Eric called us, said he had a tweak in his knee and we said, ‘Go get it looked at,’” Blues President John Davidson said Thursday night. “It’s a setback of a few days, but that’s the way it goes.”
On Wednesday, Brewer told the Post-Dispatch that he was continuing to progress nicely, mentioning that he had skated recently in Vancouver. But Brewer made no mention Wednesday of his recent setback.
Brewer, who has two more years left on his contract, is not expected to miss the entire 2009-10 season, as had been speculated earlier this week. But if there was any hope of him being ready by the season opener Oct. 2 (and there wasn’t much), that has been forgotten now.
That means the Blues will go into training camp, which begins Sept. 12, with five defensemen sure to make the roster: Erik Johnson, Barret Jackman, Roman Polak, Mike Weaver and Carlo Colaiacovo.
The remaining spot (or two spots likely) will be contested between Tyson Strachan, Steve Wagner, Jonas Junland, newcomer Brendan Bell and prospect Alex Pietrangelo.
Pietrangelo, the No. 4 overall pick in 2008, played eight games with the Blues last season before being returned to his junior hockey team. Pietrangelo still has one more year of junior eligibility remaining, meaning the same rules apply this season. He can play up to nine games in the NHL before the Blues must decide to keep him and have it count as a full season toward holding his rights, or return him to junior hockey.
Since Brewer is now going to be out for a even more extended period of time, is it time to think of naming a new captain?
I was pretty upset when the Oilers traded away Brewer, but he has had so many injury woes in the last while that I'm not sure he'll ever be a top line D man again.
I think it is time to name a new captain. Who that would be, I'm not sure.
Give it to Jackman or something. Or Tkachuk for the next year and hope that one of the young players is ready for it.
I was also thinking Tkachuk as he is the closest thing we have to the old guard, considering I think he is one of the only players left from the Pre lockout period. and after Tkachuk's couple of seasons are up, we look to the youth for a long term captain. But, I also have a small wish to see Boyes as the captain now. Let's GO Blues!!!
Eric Brewer undergoes minor knee surgery
Eric Brewer undergoes minor knee surgery
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