Although Tuesday night's loss against the Maple Leafs is something the St. Louis Blues would rather forget, it was a good night for Dalibor Dvorsky. At the 13:18 mark of the second period, Dvorsky received a pass from Robert Thomas and blasted a one-timer past Joseph Woll to tie the game at two. This is Dvorsky's third goal of the season, all of which have come on the power-play. He currently leads the team in power-play goals this season.
While this is an impressive accomplishment, it's not enough to keep him on the Blues for the rest of the season. Those three power-play goals are the only points that Dvorsky has recorded in the 10 games he appeared in. With the return of Jake Neighbours expected to return on the upcoming East Coast road trip, Dvorsky will likely be the odd man out. The best thing for him would be to send him back to the AHL.
Springfield is the perfect spot for Dalibor Dvorsky right now
Dvorsky metrics do not make his performance on the ice look any better. According to Natural Stat Trick, he has a Corsi of 42.71% and an Expected Goals For of 3.75. This means he's been below average at generating offense. He should also only have one more goal than he currently has. While these numbers dramatically improve when he's on the power-play, you can not play a player who's only able to produce on the man advantage. He at least has to be servicable on 5v5.
It's not just his offensive metrics that are bad; his defense is, too. Natural Stat Trick has his Expected Goals Against at 4.18 and his High Danger Chances Allowed at 17. Both of which are higher than what he has produced on offense. This is a sign that Dvorsky is not ready for the NHL game. That he's either too inexperienced or is not used to the speed of the pro game. This should not come as a surprise, as he has only just over a year of experience with North American hockey.
Sending him to the AHL will give him more ice time and a better chance of development. Sure, nothing can replace playing in the NHL, but how much development can he have with only 10-13 minutes of ice time a night? When he's on the Thunderbirds, he would be on the first line as well as power-play one. This will be much better for his development.
It will also help improve his confidence. During his time in the AHL, he has been a force on offense. In his 67 career AHL games, he has registered 24 goals and 26 assists for 50 points. Last season, he led all Thunderbird rookies in goals, assists, and points, and was in the top five in both goals and assists. Being able to dominate like this will give Dvorksy confidence, which will aid in his transition to the AHL.
Despite Dvorsky potentially seeing this as a demotion, he should see this as an opportunity. It's a chance for him to improve his game and be a better player when he returns to the NHL.