St. Louis Blues head coach Jim Montgomery prides himself on a dominant, high-energy fourth line. A hard-working and heavy-checking group that he can put out on the ice in any situation to try to tilt the momentum back into the Blues' favor. Through the team's first five games, the Blues' fourth line struggled to build momentum and maintain puck pressure. With the injury in the season opener to Alexey Toropchenko, the heartbeat of the fourth line was missing, and the team needed to find someone who could replicate the energy, work ethic, and heavy style of play Toropchenko brought to the team.
With the bevvy of injuries the Blues have faced early in the season, the team called up Dylan Peterson to spark the fourth line. In his NHL debut, his presence, style of play, and energy not only helped drive a dominant 7-2 road win but also showed management and the coaching staff he is exactly what this team needs to stack up wins and return to the playoffs. With Peterson's emergence, a healthy Toropchenko on the way by around Thanksgiving, and the combination of Ross Johnston's physical play and Pius Suter's steady reliability in all areas of the ice, the Blues might finally have the perfect mix Montgomery wants from his fourth line.
Dylan Peterson's road to the NHL
The road to Peterson's NHL debut has been longer than most. A third-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Peterson's debut took longer than a prototypical prospect's. He spent all four years after his draft year at Boston University playing alongside San Jose Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini and Montreal Canadiens standout defenseman Lane Hutson. While not producing at a superstar pace, Peterson was a reliable half-point-per-game player who brought intensity, heavy checking, and attitude. After four years with the Terriers, the Blues signed him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, to continue his development.
As he continued to develop and round out his game in the AHL, the Blues recognized Peterson's style of play and intangibles as essential to their roster for the upcoming season and gave him extended ice time during training camp to push to make the team. Peterson impressed coaches and management with his ability to play the style Montgomery envisions, while also producing in ways beyond goals and assists. Although he was ultimately sent back down to Springfield for roster flexibility, Peterson was told not to get comfortable down there. Fast forward six games into the regular season, and with the Blues facing injuries to their bottom-six depth, Peterson's name was called. After standing out as one of the Blues' most impactful players in his Tuesday night debut, it's hard to imagine Peterson back in the AHL, leaving the Blues with a tough roster decision in the coming weeks.
Peterson's perfect fit
When Peterson took the ice for his first shift on Tuesday, he stood out immediately, not just for his menacing 6-foot-4 frame, but for his intensity. In his measly nine minutes on the ice, he made an impact. He finished checks at both ends of the ice, won puck battles, outhustled opponents for loose pucks, and made smart, high-hockey sense plays that minimized mistakes, using his rare size-and-speed combination to outwork everyone on the ice. Peterson's hustle and work ethic led to a third-period Blues goal by Pius Suter, as his forecheck created space and helped gain puck possession. Peterson also did what rarely anybody does in hockey, let alone in their debut, dropped the gloves in a fight with Senators rookie defenseman Jorian Donovan, with Peterson's parents and family watching in the front row.
His impactful debut begs the question of whether Peterson should stick around long-term once the Blues get Toropchenko and Dillon Dube back from injured reserve. Peterson and Johnston's size on the fourth line together has to have the Blues salivating at the havoc they can create. With the Blues still missing Toropchenko and Dube for at least another month and a half, Peterson will get substantial ice time to prove he belongs in the NHL after Zach Dean failed to impress in his first two games. While his two-way contract and waiver-exempt status may work against him from a pure roster-flexibility standpoint. If the rookie keeps building after his stellar debut, sending Peterson back down will only get harder.
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