ST. LOUIS -- The Blues will get a boost on their blue line, with the return of Joel Edmundson and the debut of Jakub Jerabek, when they host the Calgary Flames today at Enterprise Center.
Edmundson has missed the first two games of the season with a groin injury, and Jerabek will make his Blues debut after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers for a conditional 2020 sixth-round pick.
"I felt good the past four days in practice," Edmundson said. "I'm ready to get back out there with the boys. It will be a fun battle.
"The game looks a lot easier from up there (in the press box). I know once you're on the ice there's no time or space. Up top it looks easy, taking in how much time you have sometimes. I think to be successful tonight, we have to have a lot of communication on the ice so we know how much time we have out there."
The Blues (0-1-1) could use Edmundson after allowing 10 goals in losses to Winnipeg (5-1) and Chicago (5-4 in overtime) to open the season.
Edmundson will be paired with Alex Pietrangelo tonight.
"He's in tonight. I'm happy to have him back," Blues coach Mike Yeo said of Edmundson. "Huge part of not only our defensive group but our identity, being a team that's hard to play against.
"Obviously giving up 10 goals in the first games we played, having 'Eddy' back, that's not going to solve all those problems but it sure makes us harder to play against and a big defender for our team."
Edmundson will be feeling the jitters, since it is his first game of the season.
"Absolutely," he said. "I can already feel them. I'm excited. It's been a long summer. I just want to get out there and get the season going."
Jerabek has been skating with Robert Bortuzzo the past three days of practice.
"It's been a long time for me, and I just want to jump in," Jerabek said. "The systems are pretty similar with the other teams. There's just some details and hopefully, it's going to be good. ... Don't think about it too much and just play hockey, play my game. I'm going to do my best to fit in the lineup, fit in this team and be a good part of the team."
Blues coach Mike Yeo said the Blues need to see the 5-foot-11, 199-pound left-handed shooting Jerabek in a game before getting a read on what his game is all about.
"We've got to get him into a game and see what he can do here," Yeo said. "His practice, his week has been fine but you don't know until you can get him into a game and you can hear what you want to hear from other people and from what he's done in the past but we want to get him in and see how he fits with our group and our game."
