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and these rankings reflect which teams voters think would win head-to-head matchups. Higher-ranked teams are favored over lower-ranked teams. A run of wins doesn't guarantee a jump,How we rank: We use a panel of voters, and a couple of losses don't guarantee a fall.

In his six weeks-plus recovery from a broken foot, Jaden Schwartz is well beyond seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. He’s about to step out of the tunnel and back into game action for a Blues team that has struggled to stay afloat during his absence.

Schwartz began skating on his own before practice. On Saturday,A little more than a week ago, he took part in the team’s morning skate — albeit on a limited basis — before the Arizona game.

which was a way for coach Mike Yeo to let his players know how displeased he was with their effort in a 5-2 loss to the Coyotes. Schwartz, obviously, but he was out there for everything — contact drills, had nothing to do with that defeat, he was a full participant in a grueling “bag” or “punishment” skate,Then on Sunday, the so-called battle drills, and all kinds of extra sprint skating.

he was right back on the ice Monday for a more traditional practice at Scottrade Center. If he could survive the Sunday practice,How did Schwartz respond to all that? Well, it appears there’s nothing preventing his eagerly anticipated return.

” Yeo said. “Don’t expect him in (against Ottawa). But obviously he’s getting a lot closer. He brings energy, you know? Even just for practice,“He’s coming along, it’s good to have him back.”

So what does Yeo need to see to get Schwartz back in game action?

” Yeo said. “Medically, he’s cleared and he’s ready. And obviously,“Just want to make sure he feels comfortable, it’s just a matter of making sure conditioning-wise and timing-wise that when he gets in he feels ready.”

The Blues haven’t handled Schwartz’s departure well. That’s not a well-kept secret. They were 20-8-2 with him in the lineup. They are 8-10-1 since he took a puck off the foot Dec. 9 in Detroit and had to be helped off the ice.

the Blues were among the NHL’s highest scoring teams,adidas Jonathan Drouin jersey, scoring three or more goals in 20 of those 30 contests and averaging 3.2 goals. Schwartz averaged more than a point a game with 14 goals and 21 assists,In the 30 games with him in the lineup,adidas Auston Matthews jersey, and was plus-23.

they’ve lost more than a goal a game,In the 19 games with him out of the lineup, averaging just 2.1 goals per contest. They’ve scored at least three goals in only eight of those 19.

followed by Paul Stastny (four goals,Authentic Nikita Kucherov jersey,No Blues player has averaged a point a game since Schwartz’s injury. Vladimir Tarasenko is the closest at 14 points in 19 games (seven goals, nine assists) and Alexander Steen (six goals, seven assists), six assists).

will expect Schwartz to pick up where he left off,When it was suggested that fans,adidas James Van Riemsdyk jersey, Yeo joked: “So are we. Obviously, perhaps unfairly, we have to be fair. But at the same time you don’t just evaluate Schwartzie’s game on goals and assists.

the way that he plays against top players. The momentum that he brings. So obviously we can’t sit here and say that we expect him to be completely on top of his game and playing at the level that he was earlier,“It’s his work ethic. It’s his tenacity that’s infectious to the rest of the group. It’s the way that he kills penalties, but I wouldn’t be surprised either.

“He’s a player that again, his work ethic and his relentlessness puts himself in a lot of really good positions.”

and really, in all of professional sport. That’s what Schwartz brings to the rink every night, and it’s the way Yeo would like his team to play every night. Unfortunately,When skill meets top-end work ethic, it’s a lethal combination in hockey, the latter hasn’t always been the case in Schwartz’s absence.

Suffice it to say, his teammates are eager for his return.

“He’s a good locker room guy. Good team player,” goalie Carter Hutton said. “And we’re looking forward to getting him back in there. He’s awesome. It’ll be fun getting him in the lineup. Exciting times.”

All the same, his teammates don’t want to put any undue pressure on his return.

“When he’s ready to go he’ll be ready to go,” Steen said. “I think he’s working on getting his legs back under him. We’ll see where he’s at. Only he knows his body and how he’s feeling. So we’ll be monitoring him over the next little while.”

With Yeo already putting Schwartz in the doubtful category for Tuesday’s game with Ottawa, that leaves only Thursday’s contest with Colorado before the All-Star break. Perhaps it makes sense to simply wait until after the break and point toward a Jan. 30 return against Montreal.

an ex-NHLer and member of the Rivermen Hall of Fame who led Peoria to a Turner Cup championship in the 1990-91 IHL season,Bruce is the son of David Bruce, Authentic Auston Matthews jersey,during which the team set a pro hockey record with an 18-game win streak.

Bruce was second on the expansion Birmingham team in scoring with 9 goals and 10 assists in 29 games, and a team-best three game-winning goals.

he ripped through the league for 27 goals and 24 assists in 56 games,As a rookie last season with Columbus, Authentic Victor Hedman jersey,with eight power play goals and eight game-winners.

who was born in Peoria,Bruce, was on the Columbus team bus that crashed in Morton on the way into Peoria for a set of games in January of 2017.

185 pounds,Authentic Jonathan Drouin jersey, Bruce gives the Rivermen an upgrade in size at the forward position. That was something the Peoria team was searching for as it marches toward the playoffs,adidas Victor Hedman jersey,At 6-foot-1, where space to skate is harder to come by.

but we knew we’d have to give up something of quality to get Keegan Bruce,adidas Nikita Kucherov jersey,” Trudel said. “Jacob is a terrific kid,“Barber is not a guy we wanted to trade, loved having him here and he developed quickly. This was not an easy trade to make.

a deal that helps both organizations. I felt we needed more size up front, looking ahead,“I think it’s a good hockey trade,Authentic Daniel Sedin jersey, and this gets us what we needed.

comes out of the corners strong and gets to the net. He’s a bigger body, longer stick,Authentic James Van Riemsdyk jersey,“Keegan Bruce plays a heavy game with the puck, and he is a finisher on the power play.”

The Rivermen plan to play Bruce on a line with slick center Justin Greenberg,adidas Daniel Sedin jersey, who is expected to return from injured reserve this weekend.

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