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In emergency pinches, the Blues have turned to defenseman Matthew Kessel.

Kessel has been called upon twice in past few months to aid the Blues on defense, and now he’s up in the NHL for the rest of the season. The Blues needed Kessel to be in the lineup Jan. 31 in Colorado when Colton Parayko was sick, and they needed him to play against the Kings on Saturday when Cam Fowler was back in St. Louis for the birth of his second child.

When the Blues announced Parayko would miss six weeks with a knee injury, they followed it the next day by recalling Kessel from AHL affiliate Springfield (Massachusetts). In speaking to reporters at the trade deadline, general manager Doug Armstrong said Kessel would be in the NHL for the rest of the season.

“It’s pretty nice (sticking in the NHL),� Kessel said. “Being a young guy and being able to move freely up and down with how your contract is, it could be a possibility at any time. Went down there and stuck to my game. Being up here, that’s pretty nice being able to feel a little more comfortable. But continue to work and hopefully get in the lineup consistently here and help the team as much as I can.�

Part of the reason Kessel will remain in the NHL is that the Blues are worried they would lose him on waivers. When Kessel plays his next game, he will no longer be waivers-exempt, and other teams would be able to claim him if the Blues tried to send him to the AHL.

In order to be eligible to play in the AHL playoffs, a player has to be on the AHL roster at the time of the NHL trade deadline. Because Kessel was recalled before the deadline, he won’t be playing for Springfield in the playoffs. Kessel will also not count as one of the four non-emergency recalls the Blues have post-deadline. St. Louis did use one on Zack Bolduc in a paper transaction that sent him to the AHL and back last week.

Kessel began the season on the NHL roster after he made the Blues roster after training camp, and he played in 26 of the team’s first 30 games. But when the Blues traded for Cam Fowler in mid-December, they needed to clear a roster spot and Kessel’s was the spot.

“It was definitely tough,� Kessel said. “Obviously, you want to be up here and playing in the NHL. That’s just the way it went. Definitely a test of your mental strength. At the end of the day, it’s playing your same game, and you want to be playing that up here. As much as you can focus helping the team you’re at win games and get in a better position, and focus on yourself and your process. Continue to grow your game, that’s what I was leaning on most. It ended up being good for me.�

The Blues defense continued to shift after that. Tyler Tucker was recalled to the NHL, seemingly jumping Kessel on the depth chart. Pierre-Olivier Joseph was traded to Pittsburgh. Scott Perunovich was traded to the Islanders. Nick Leddy returned from missing 49 games. And now, Parayko’s injury will potentially keep him out through the end of the regular season.

When Kessel was recalled in January to play in Colorado, he flew on the day of the game from Des Moines, Iowa, where Springfield was set to play. Kessel was warming up to go on the ice for the team’s morning skate when he had to pack his bags and catch a ride to the airport for his flight to Denver.

On Saturday, he had more time to prepare for his role that evening when Fowler was back in St. Louis.

“I think that one (in Colorado), I was a little more riled up getting going,� Kessel said. “This one, I had a little bit more time, was still hoping to play in LA, got told in the morning when I woke up. That whole day, I was able to get my mind right and it’s fun to be back and playing some games.�

Kessel is still the seventh defenseman in the rotation for the Blues, an extra skater on the back end during practice Wednesday before the team traveled to Pittsburgh.

When he was in Springfield, Kessel played in 29 games, providing five goals and 12 assists.

“Tried to play the same way I was here but a little bit more time down there during games,� Kessel said. “It was good.�

Been a while

Blues forward Alexandre Texier remained an extra forward during Wednesday’s practice as coach Jim Montgomery has kept the same forward lines intact for the last 10 games. Texier hasn’t played in a game since Feb. 4 against Edmonton, partially the product of being sick after the 4 Nations Face-Off break and partially because the team has played well without him.

Montgomery said there is “constant communication� with Texier.

“He’s been incredible, I’ve got to admit,� Montgomery said. “He’s working hard on game days when everyone else is getting ready to play. That’s hard, but I think our leaders and himself have done a great job of staying focused. I know if something happens, he’s going to go in and he’s going to play well because that’s how he’s practicing.�