Blues defenceman Colton Parayko out at least six weeks with knee injury

The St. Louis Blues will be without their top defenceman for the foreseeable future.

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong announced Thursday that Colton Parayko will undergo a scope on his left knee after injuring it during Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings.

Parayko, 31, has a career-best 15 goals and 35 points in 62 games for the Blues this season.

The St. Albert, Alta., native also helped Canada win the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament last month. Parayko played in all four games for the Canadians.

Paraykos’s injury is a big blow for the Blues who are currently in a three-team race for the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot with the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks.

St. Louis enters Thursday’s action one point back of both the Flames and the Canucks, but Calgary and Vancouver each have two games in hand.