The St. Louis Blues announced Friday night that defenceman Carl Gunnarsson will miss the rest of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee in a game against Vancouver.

The team said Gunnarsson needs surgery once swelling goes down and will be re-evaluated in six months.

The loss of the blueliner comes as the Blues find themselves in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. St. Louis has 87 points, one behind Colorado for the second wild card spot and three behind Minnesota for third place in the Central Division.

The 31-year-old Gunnarsson had five goals and four assists in 63 games for St. Louis this season. The nine-year veteran has appeared in 556 career games with the Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs.