Alexander Steen out 4-6 months after shoulder surgery

St. Louis Blues forward Alexander Steen underwent shoulder surgery and will be sidelined the next four-to-six months the team announced Friday.

The short end of that timeframe would make him ready for Oct. 3, right before the likely start of the NHL’s regular season. The long range estimate has Steen out until early December.

His availability for the World Cup of Hockey for Team Sweden appears to be in doubt based on the timeline. The 32-year-old Steen was one of the first 16 players announced to Sweden’s World Cup roster.

The World Cup will start Sept. 17 and run until Oct. 1 at the latest.

Steen originally suffered the injury on Feb. 20 against the Arizona Coyotes following a collision with Kevin Connauton. He then missed 15 games before returning for the last six games of the regular season and the playoffs. The Blues were ousted from the postseason in six games in the Western Conference Final by the San Jose Sharks.

Steen had 10 points in 20 playoff games and finished the regular season as the team’s second-leading scorer with 52 points in 67 games.

“Alexander suffered the original shoulder injury in February 20th in Arizona. He rehabbed and worked hard to get back and be a big part in the team’s run to the Conference Final. Alex is one of the most dedicated players in the NHL when it comes to fitness and we’re thrilled things went well today, “ Blues GM Doug Armstrong said in a statement.

The Blues face an offseason full of decisions with their forwards and Steen’s injury could play a role with their planning. Captain David Backes ($4.5 million per-year) and forward Troy Brouwer ($3.66 million per-year) are both pending unrestricted free agents and could command raises in their next contracts.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper