From September 13-15, the NHL will conduct its fourth Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Missouri, just a half-hour drive northwest of St. Louis. The Blues, like many teams this year, have several exciting prospects that could make their mark before training camps get underway.
They will also be playing against two other teams' prospect pools, namely Chicago and Minnesota, on Friday at 7 pm local time and 3 pm local time on Sunday. And although St. Louis also has a couple of key snubs, the players listed here have the best chances of standing out this weekend.
Dalibor Dvorsky
He's only got one true junior hockey season under his belt, but this Slovak tore up the OHL as much as his Wolves did, posting an astonishing 45 goals and 43 assists for 88 points in 52 games. Dvorsky also contributed to Sudbury's playoff run to the OHL
Eastern Conference Semifinals, playing in nine additional contests while adding another three goals and seven assists. Though the 2024/25 campaign may see him return to Sudbury for his second junior season, the 19-year-old still has a pretty good shot to make the Blues' final roster even before this showcase gets underway.
With numbers like that in a single season, it'd be a hard choice not to leave him off the final cuts list, even with other star European youngsters like Theo Lindstein and Adam Jiricek. And speaking of insane junior numbers...
Zach Bolduc
Bolduc is technically a player with a handful of NHL games under his belt, having played in 25 contests last season with five goals and four assists. Pretty decent rookie numbers for someone who also split time with the Blues' affiliate in Springfield, where he bagged nine goals and 17 assists in 50 games.
Now, on paper, five goals and four assists in 25 games during an 82-game season isn't that impressive. But Bolduc showed some serious promise during that period. Who knows - he could've maybe laced up for more games and scored even more goals if he had a more permanent roster spot.
The 21-year-old has the talent - he just needs enough time to get fully noticed. Bolduc still has plenty of time to find a permanent line spot on the Blues' roster this fall.
Juraj Pekarcik
The 18-year-old Slovak may not have the goal-scoring prowess that Dvorsky and Bolduc possess, but he more than makes up for it in setting up goals. Last season was his first in a major junior league, where he played in 43 games for the USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints, notching nine goals and 50 assists.
And like Dvorsky, he was strong in the postseason with 11 games and three goals plus seven assists as Dubuque made it all the way to the Clark Cup Finals, eventually losing to Fargo in four games in a best of five championship series.
Pekarcik also has a strong international game, with a combined nine goals and 14 assists across all of the competitions the Slovak U18 team competed in, including last year's World Juniors. This young Slovak could quickly one day become a fan favorite in St. Louis, given how good he is with grabbing the puck away from opponents in their offensive zone.
Michael Buchinger
Although it is unlikely Buchinger will suit up in October for the Blues, instead spending time in affiliate Springfield, the 20-year-old Markham, Ontario native is still one to watch for at this weekend's showcase. In three seasons with the OHL's Guelph Storm, he put up 30 goals and 128 assists for 158 points.
Buchinger didn't quite keep those numbers up during the OHL postseason, but he was able to play in handfuls of games during those three years, and consecutive ones at that. Making the playoffs three years in a row is no small feat, regardless of any team in any league. And yet, Buchinger may be the Blues prospect under the most pressure for this weekend's showcase, given that among the other Blues prospects listed here, he's the most lacking on both sides of the puck.
It's not terrible - it just needs some fine-tuning, like any good prospect needs. Maybe current Blues head coach Drew Bannister could give the newest Buch a few tips- Bannister has a solid record leading prospects.
As mentioned earlier, the Blues' prospects will play a pair of games against other Central Division teams' prospects, arch-rivals Chicago and regional rival Minnesota, two days after that. Practice sessions will be held at 10 am on Friday morning before the evening matinee.
On a final plus note, attendance for both games is completely free for any Blues fans looking to catch some of the action! And if you can't make it to Maryland Heights, just log on to the Blues website and app or tune in to WXOS 101.1 ESPN radio for listening coverage.