Blues' Lehtera: Bone chip in ankle was 'cutting the tendons like salami'
Jori Lehtera isn't mincing words when it comes to his recent ankle injury.
The St. Louis Blues forward underwent surgery in early August to rectify the issue and described the injury's effects at training camp this week.
"It was a 1-centimeter bone chip that was cutting the tendons like salami," he said, according to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "It didn't feel that good."
Lehtera's similes didn't stop there.
"The puck felt like a hot baked potato in my hands," Lehtera said following his first practice Friday. "Then I felt a little bit like my skates were on the wrong feet. Otherwise OK."
Lehtera was expected to be off the ice for six-to-eight weeks following the surgery Aug. 4, meaning he returned to practice ahead of schedule. That bodes well for an earlier-than-expected season debut.
He recorded 14 goals and 30 assists in 75 games for the Blues last season.