The Olympics are underway and, for the first time since 2014, NHL players are participating in the games. The St. Louis Blues have an impressive number of players representing a number of countries, and the youngest of them is 20-year old Dalibor Dvorsky on the Slovakian team--and boy, did he announce his arrival in the opening game against Finland.
Dvorsky's primary role was centering the Slovak's third line alongside Adam Liska and Libor Hudacek, but he was also part of the team's first power play unit that features Juraj Slafkovsky, who had a dominant showing. In 11:14 of ice time, Dvorsky scored a goal at even strength and had an assist on Slafkovsky's power play goal. Two points against a strong Finnish team without that much ice time? Not too shabby, Dvorsky.
If Dvorsky is truly arriving as an impactful, high-end center, then maybe that could make Robert Thomas more tradeable.
Trading Thomas would represent a seismic shift in the Blues' priorities. At 26 years old, he's in the prime of his career and signed through 2031 on a very team-friendly contract. Things may look bleak for the Blues right now, but there's a world where the next wave of youth reaches the NHL in time to take advantage of Thomas's skills and he remains a foundational, top-line center in St. Louis for the remainder of his contract.
That might be too optimistic, though; the reality is not nearly as rosy. If the Blues do ultimately decide to trade Thomas (and if they do, it should be for a haul), his replacement may already be here: Dalibor Dvorsky. He may need a few more years of seasoning at the NHL level, but early returns are that he could be capable of becoming a top-of-the-lineup center for the next great Blues team.