Blues' Carl Gunnarsson aiming to be in lineup on opening night

Newly-acquired St. Louis Blues defenseman Carl Gunnarsson isn't about to let a little offseason surgery prevent him from making his club debut on opening night.

Well that's the goal, at least.

Gunnarsson, acquired in the offseason in a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, was on the ice testing his surgically-repaired hip Monday - four days before the official start of Blues training camp. 

"We'll try to gradually build into it to hopefully soon be able to do a full practice," Gunnarsson told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I wish I could say, but I don't know. If it feels good, we'll try to push it even more. We've just got to stay where we're at until tomorrow. 

"(Opening day) is what I'm pushing for, but we've still got a month. It's not impossible, but it's so tough to say. It's weird. It's been up and down. Some days I feel good, some days it's a little bit worse."

The Blues open their season Oct. 9 against the reigning Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers.