Blues' Gunnarsson cleared to skate 10 days after suffering concussion

The concussion symptoms have passed, but the rest of Carl Gunnarsson's body needs some work.

The St. Louis Blues defenseman has been cleared to play after suffering a head injury from an elbow delivered by Anders Lee of the New York Islanders on Dec. 6.

The time off, however, appears to have caused some stiffness in his surgically-repaired hip, meaning he's not quite ready to return to game action.

"He’s cleared head-wise and now it’s conditioning-wise," head coach Hitchcock told reporters. "How he conditions after today and then gets through tomorrow’s practice will determine when he’s ready to play, but he’s cleared from a fitness standpoint because of the injury he had. 

"We’re not prepared to put him in full until we feel like his hip has loosened up to where he’s ready to go and we don’t have any repercussions there."

The defenseman recorded one goal and four assists in 20 games for the Blues prior to the injury.