St. Louis Blues center Jori Lehtera had ankle surgery last week that will keep him out for six-to-eight weeks, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Lehtera attempted to rest and rehabilitate the ankle, but with it still bothering him, he underwent surgery last Tuesday. A veteran of the Finnish and Russian leagues, Lehtera excelled as a 27-year-old rookie last season, totaling 14 goals, 44 points and a plus-21 rating over 75 games. After missing the Blues' penultimate game of last season with what was at the time referred to as a lower-body injury, Lehtera returned to the ice for the final game, but apparently much too soon. With the current timeline, Lehtera will most likely miss the entire preseason, and his availability for the start of the regular season is in doubt. If Lehtera is unable to open the season with the Blues, Patrik Berglund may move up to a top-six slot or the team may elect to give 19-year-old center Robby Fabbri a nine-game trial before returning him to juniors.