Virtanen has been a healthy scratch for three of the last four games but will replace Zack MacEwen in the lineup on Thursday. Virtanen, who will likely skate on the fourth line with Jay Beagle, has one goal in 10 games this season.
Moving Tarasenko to LTIR opens up some cap space for the Blues to recall Jordan Kyrou and Mackenzie MacEachern from the taxi squad. Tarasenko continues to rehab his surgically repaired shoulder and is expected to be re-evaluated at the end of January.
There is no word on who he will replace in the lineup but the Canucks reportedly have a couple of players banged up. In addition to Virtanen, Loui Eriksson will also enter the lineup on Tuesday. The 23-year-old winger had 36 points (18G / 18A) in 69 regular-season games.
Virtanen missed the Canucks morning skate because he isn't feeling well and will be a game-time decision vs. the Senators. Even if Virtanen can't play, Antoine Roussel will make his season debut so they won't be left entirely shorthanded.
Tarasenko left last Thursday’s game vs. Los Angels with an injury that we now know will require surgery. This is a devastating blow for the defending Stanley Cup Champions. Tarasenko has missed just 15 games over the last five years but will be out until at least late-March, effectively ending his 2019-20 campaign. The in-house replacement for Tarasenko appears to be Robert Thomas for now but with Tarasenko heading to LTIR, don’t be surprised if the Blues make a move for a winger.
Tarasenko will not travel on the Blues two-game weekend road-trip because of an upper-body injury that he suffered in the first period of Thursday’s win. Oskar Sundqvist and Robert Thomas moved up in Tarasenko’s spot, so look for one of them to play an expanded role on Saturday.
Virtanen has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury but will play tonight in Nashville. Virtanen will replace Sven Baertschi and has 15 goals and 10 assists in 68 games the season.
Virtanen has been out since February 13th, missing a total of 10 games due to injury. He will be back in the lineup vs. Vegas and is expected to skate on the first line and second power-play unit.
Just over an hour prior to puck-drop the Blues announced that Tarasenko will not play on Saturday afternoon. Jaden Schwartz will move up to the Blues top line and Zach Sanford will replace him on the third line with Tarasenko out.
