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Jaden Schwartz (ankle) will return to the active lineup Friday night against the Panthers

Schwartz (ankle) will return to the active lineup Friday night against the Panthers and he'll be skating with centerman Jori Lehtera and right wing Vladimir Tarasenko, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Schwartz has missed 49 games since fracturing his left ankle Oct. 23.

Analysis:

The line combination should be familiar to Schwartz, who skated with Tarasenko and Lehthera all last season, a unit dubbed the "STL" line. Schwartz's return comes at a time of need for the Blues, who have scored one or fewer goals in five of the last six games. Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock was quick to tap the brakes on Schwartz being a savior or making an immediate impact, but clearly, the team is hopeful for some level of offensive infusion from the 23-year-old forward who's scored 53 goals the last two seasons.

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