<p>The <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/st-louis-blues/line-combinations">St. Louis Blues</a> will be without veteran center Oskar Sundqvist to start the 2025-26 NHL season, and could reconnect on an in-season PTO for left winger Milan Lucic, after both suffered lower-body injuries ahead of opening night.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Sundqvist will be out week-to-week, according to general manager Doug Armstrong, but the club has only ruled him out for their first three games, with a potential return set for Oct. 15 against the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/chicago-blackhawks/line-combinations">Chicago Blackhawks</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The 32-year-old Swede featured on the Blues’ opening night roster, unveiled on Monday, but reportedly suffered the injury during a practice on Sunday, following a fall in a battle drill along the boards, forcing him to be helped off the ice.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Previously, Sundqvist suffered an ACL injury late in the 2023-24 campaign, which impacted the early stages of the 2024-25 season. Since debuting in the NHL in 2015-16, he has only surpassed the 70-game threshold once.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="150"></div>



<p>Meanwhile, Lucic suffered a lower-body injury of his own and will rehab with the Blues organization. However, Armstrong indicated to <a href="https://x.com/jprutherford/status/1975582932015149403">The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutheford</a> that the plan is to reconnect on an in-season PTO.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“He got banged up last couple of games,” Armstrong said. “His PTO is obviously over. What we’re going to do is we’re going rehab him here and get him back health-wise to 100 per cent and likely reconnect on an in-season PTO to get him up and running and see where he’s at then.”</p>



<p>Lucic, 37, has not played in the NHL since the 2023-24 season, when he appeared in four games with the<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/boston-bruins/line-combinations"> Boston Bruins</a> during his second stint with the organization. He had helped lead them to the 2011 Stanley Cup win over the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/vancouver-canucks/line-combinations">Vancouver Canucks</a>.&nbsp;</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="132"></div>



<p>Through two preseason games with the Blues, the Vancouver native posted a pair of assists.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The Blues open their NHL regular season at home against the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/minnesota-wild/line-combinations">Minnesota Wild</a> on Thursday.</p>
