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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Riding an eight-game win streak, the Blues will get one of their top players back in the lineup for Saturday’s game in Colorado as Pavel Buchnevich returns to the fold.

He missed the last four games with what the Blues announced as an illness. Buchnevich flew on his own from St. Louis to Nashville on Thursday to join the team, and then was on the ice for practice on Friday afternoon in his customary spot on the top line with Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours.

“Anytime you can add any of your top players, guys that are so smart and make plays defensively and offensively for 200 feet like him, it just makes your team better,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said.

With Buchnevich available, Zack Bolduc returned to the third line with Oskar Sundqvist and Mathieu Joseph, while Alexandre Texier was an extra forward again after he was in the lineup for four games.

Buchnevich’s time on the ice has been limited since absorbing a hit by Nashville’s Michael McCarron on March 18. Buchnevich missed the final 13:48 of the second period in that game before returning for the third period, and also playing March 20 against Vancouver.

Buchnevich’s practice on Friday was his first with the team since March 21.

McCarron was issued a major penalty and a game misconduct for interference on the play in which Buchnevich was injured, but did not face any supplemental discipline from the Department of Player Safety, receiving neither a fine nor a suspension.

Friday was the first time Buchnevich spoke to reporters since the hit.

“I don’t have a (expletive) puck,” Buchnevich said. “This is my (expletive) problem. I don’t have a puck, he hits me with a shoulder to the head, he got five minutes and no hearing, which (expletive ticked) me off. ‘Oh, we want to (expletive) defend players,’ (McCarron) coming in and (expletive) hit me behind the net. I clearly doesn’t even touch the puck. You see the guy poke it somewhere behind the net and he (expletive) hit me. I don’t know. No hearing, no anything.”

After the hit, Neighbours fought McCarron. Buchnevich theorized that his return at the start of the third period could have led to the decision not to discipline McCarron. Article 18 of the collective bargaining agreement lists “injury to the opposing player(s) involved in the incident” as a factor in determining whether a play warrants supplemental discipline.

McCarron was suspended for two games in April 2021 for an illegal check to the head, and was fined twice: in March 2024 for unsportsmanlike conduct and in April 2024 for goaltender interference.

“If puck in my skates, I don’t mind if he hit me,” Buchnevich said. “But I don’t have a puck. So he can (expletive) skate no puck (expletive) crush guys like it used to be. It’s just my thing, but whatever.”

Buchnevich said he’s “probably” taken similar hits in his career, but “I try and forget those hits. I got no problem if I got the puck and he hit me. I got no problem. I don’t have a puck, this is the thing.”

Buchnevich has been suspended twice in his career. He was given one game for high-sticking Anthony Mantha as a member of the Rangers in May 2021, and suspended for two games for head-butting Lawson Crouse in Oct. 2021. Buchnevich’s two-game suspension cost him $141,463 in salary.

The Blues were 4-0-0 in Buchnevich’s absence, which overlapped with the Blues missing Colton Parayko. St. Louis has gone 9-1-1 since losing Parayko to a knee injury, though Parayko took some contact during drills in Friday’s practice in Nashville.

Montgomery said Parayko has completed about two steps of his recovery, with an additional three still to go. He credited the team’s overall attitude for overcoming the injuries to Buchnevich and Parayko.

“I think it’s just been the mindset that the pack is stronger than any individual, and everybody is committed to playing the right way, and everybody relishes their role. Without the puck, we all look the same,” Montgomery said. “Defensively, which I think has been our greatest strength, we can overcome any losses.”

When Buchnevich was out, Bolduc was elevated to the top line at even strength while Nathan Walker assumed Buchnevich’s minutes on the penalty-killing unit. That also shifted Neighbours into more of a role on the kill.

“To me, we have a lot of forwards that can penalty kill, probably eight deep,” Montgomery said. “When we get an injury like ‘Buchy,’ (Walker) all of a sudden gets a lot more penalty killing time. So does ‘Jakey.’ Obviously, with ‘Buchy’ coming back, people’s minutes will slide back the way they were prior to (the injury).”