Jaden Schwartz injury continues bitter week for the Blues

Injuries. Can't predict them. Can't prevent them. Can't contain them.

The injury bug has crept up and bit the St. Louis Blues again. Jaden Schwartz, an important piece of the Blues makeup, slipped and crashed into goaltender Brian Elliott during practice this morning, via STL Post Dispatch reporter Jeremy Rutherford. No details on the injury were immediately released but all fans could make out from a distance was a huge shitcloud forming over their team during the first month of play.

I won't stand here and blame the St. Louis Mills mall for the incident, even though their mall stinks and is located in the middle of nowhere. I won't blame Mike Keenan for this rash of unfortunate luck, even though it's tempting. I won't even blame Mike Matheny for it even though I could make that stick somehow.

It's been a rough week for the Note and it isn't getting any better. They are 5-2 as a long homestand kicks off tomorrow with the New York Islanders and old friend Jaro Halak riding into town. Paul Stastny was diagnosed with a broken foot on Tuesday, officially changing his notice to "plain clothes hockey player" for five weeks. This morning, Jimmy Roberts, the first ever Blue(drafted in 1967) died after a long battle with cancer. Then, Schwartz slides into a goal post and it wasn't done while perfecting a Mighty Ducks routine. This is bad news because Schwartz is a special cog in this machine.

He can shoot the puck with precision, carry it through the neutral zone like a egg, and doesn't hesitate to throw his shoulder into another jersey in a corner scrum. He's all over the place and can be used on multiple units. He also doesn't carry any vanity or ego. He's just a good player and if he is down for weeks and not days, the Blues will be walking wounded.

If you think not, how about this? Do you want to see Steve Ott play top line minutes? You know Ken Hitchcock is holding that dry erase board like a twinkie right now, daring to rearrange the lines and color his dreamboat scheme. Schwartz needs to be bounce back.

It's great news that Kevin Shattenkirk and Robby Fabbri are returning soon. Fabbri scored the game winner in the season opener and then got clobbered and was never seen again. Shatty is nearly as important as Pietro at the blue line, so he will add a dose of fire to the Blues defensive unit(already suffering with Carl "My last name is cooler than my actual ability" Gunnarsson).

However, losing Stastny was a kick to the nuts. Losing Schwartz would be lying on the mat and having Macho Man Randy Savage drop the hammer on you. What else can happen to this team?

Ty Rattie is on his way up to the team, so the injury to Schwartz is serious enough to keep him out for Saturday's game. Rattie, like Fabbri, has a chance to catch some ice time with the Blues this year with the departure of T.J. Oshie and the shoulder surgery for Patrik Berglund. Now, as the trainers room fills up, Rattie can really step up for the team in a time of need.

Maybe this is what happens when your team plays a little too "reckless"! One thing is for certain. After four long days of no hockey, Saturday night can't get soon enough. Until then, kindly place the Blues players in saran wrap until puck drop.

*For more news and meaningless info, follow me on Twitter. I mean, read my posts. You can't actually follow me. That would be weird.