The St. Louis Blues’ injury list is getting smaller, with the return of Russian winger Alexey Toropchenko on the horizon. After an upper-body injury forced him out of the season opener against the Dallas Stars, the Blues have been trying to find momentum on their fourth line without Toropchenko’s speed and physicality. However, after finding a line that works with Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, Otto Stenberg, and Pius Suter, finding a place in the lineup for Toropchenko has become a difficult question to answer.
With young players like Kaskimaki and Stenberg beginning to establish themselves within the Blues’ lineup, the question becomes: How should the Blues approach their current roster predicament? The most likely scenario involves sending them to the American Hockey League(AHL). However, there’s another option that could potentially benefit the Blues in terms of winning hockey games, and that’s sending Dalibor Dvorsky down.
Sending Dvorsky down
Understandably, take may seem far-fetched, but based strictly on results, Dvorsky hasn’t provided enough consistent production or displayed a high enough level of play to warrant keeping him in the lineup over some of the other competing players. At some point, the question needs to be asked: Are the Blues doing him a disservice to his confidence and development by continuing to play him in the NHL when his performance hasn’t been at the level expected of him?
Dvorsky opened the season with two goals in two games, and it appeared as though he was taking the next step in his development. However, since that point, he’s only recorded one assist. Furthermore, he’s been moved around in the lineup quite frequently, playing on the fourth line, third line, wing, or even changing his line mates. Through all those changes, he has yet to find real consistency in his game.
Given the current abundance of players potentially returning from injury, performance means everything. If players aren’t making the most of their opportunities, there are other players waiting to take their spots. In this situation, Dvorsky is one of the players who needs to take a step forward to remain on the roster.
Currently, Dvorsky is still on his entry-level contract, making him waiver-exempt. By sending him down to the AHL, the Blues could give him an opportunity to play more meaningful minutes, regain his offensive rhythm, and rebuild his confidence. Ultimately, that could be more beneficial to his long-term development than continuing to struggle with consistency in the NHL.
So, if the Blues decide to send Dvorsky to the AHL, how would that impact their current lineup? In this scenario, Suter would move into the third-line center role, opening the door for Kaskimaki to center a fourth line alongside Toropchenko and Stenberg.
This would create a young, hungry fourth line capable of generating offensive opportunities while using its speed and physicality to create havoc in the offensive zone. Their ability to maintain pressure through the forecheck could also help the Blues sustain momentum between line changes. Furthermore, their defensive awareness and willingness to compete without the puck could make them an effective shutdown line against opposing teams.
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