After an off-season that saw GM Doug Armstrong add Nick Bjugstad and Pius Suter to the St. Louis Blues roster, it's easy to envision the lineup without Dalibor Dvorsky. Whether it's at wing or center, there isn't a clear role for Dvorsky--but that doesn't mean he can't force his way into the conversation.
Dvorsky had a very good rookie season with the Blues' AHL affiliate, Springfield Thunderbirds, registering 21 goals and 45 points in 61 games. He also got two games with the Blues, but didn't register any points in his cup of coffee with the team. At 20 years old as of June, there's no serious pressure for him to make the Blues out of training camp, and there's no reason to rush him if he's not ready--that's part of why Armstrong signed Bjugstad and Suter, so that the organization isn't forced to ask too much of their young players too soon.
That all said, Dvorsky can make this team. Ideally, it would be in a top-nine role, as subjecting a prospect to fourth-line minutes might not be the best for their development arc. To do so, Dvorsky will have to outplay a rostered veteran in camp and take their spot. There's one player in particular who's at risk: Mathieu Joseph. Joseph had a dire 2024-25 season, and a poor showing in camp could cost him his regular spot in the lineup as the youth movement arrives.
We'd like to see Dvorsky, at the very least, make it a difficult decision for the coaching staff to send him back to the AHL at the end of training camp. Making the team would be ideal, but if he's only going to get limited minutes and not play every game, his development is likely better served in the AHL, where he should put up better numbers than he did last season. This time next year, we expect Dvorsky to be a lineup lock; but going into 2025-26, while making the team would be a feather in his cap, we'd prefer to see him excel at whatever level suits him best--even if that is another year with the Thunderbirds.