The St. Louis Blues have had an active offseason, signing forwards Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad while trading away young winger Zach Bolduc in a move to bring in young defenseman Logan Mallioux. These moves leave Dalibor Dvorsky in a tight spot.
Dvorsky was selected 10th overall in the 2023 NHL draft and instantly became one of the Blues' top forward prospects since Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou were rising through the ranks.
The young Slovakian forward has a history of offensive production both in juniors and the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds. In 2023-24 with the Sudbury Wolves, an 18-year-old Dvorsky posted 88 points in 52 games, scoring 45 goals and assisting on 43. That season, he also performed in the playoffs, posting 10 points in nine games.
In his first season in the American Hockey League, Dvorsky played 61 games for the Thunderbirds and had another solid season. This time, scoring 21 goals and adding 24 assists while being named an AHL all-star.
In the same year, Dvorsky got the call to the NHL for the first time in his career. The timing of Dvorsky's call-up was unique, as the Blues were in the middle of an unprecedented winning streak.
Dvorsky's first game was on March 23 in a home game against the Nashville Predators. The forward saw 10:40 minutes of action, took 16 shifts, and went 2-3 on faceoffs. He then went eight games without seeing action for the Blues and saw action in the lineup again on April 9 against the Oilers, where he recorded his first two shots on goal in 8:09 minutes of action.
He was then sent back down to the AHL to aid the Thunderbirds on their playoff run, where they saw an early exit in the first round.
Where Dvorsky's spot on the 2025-26 roster will be one of the more intriguing position battles when training camp opens in the fall. The Blues drafted Dvorsky as a center, and that is where he has spent his developmental years in the Blues' system.
St. Louis seemingly has their four starting center positions spoken for with Thomas, Brayden Schenn, Suter, and Bjugstad slotting into the center spot on the four forward lines. While Dvorsky's upside exceeds that of any center on the roster except Thomas, the Blues won't put him on the fourth line, which means he will have to crack the second or third line to start at center.
The alternative to Dvorsky's problem is transitioning into a winger while he continues to develop at the NHL level. There is an obvious spot for Dvorsky on the wing on the third line with potential linemates of Suter and Jake Neighbours.
The Blues' lineup looks much more lethal with Dvorsky on Suter's wing, rather than a player like Oskar Sundqvist or Alexandre Texier.
Dvorsky on the wing does not need to be a long-term solution for the Blues, and we have seen the team change the second-line center position in and out between Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich over the last few seasons.
However, his best chance at making the team is clearly in a winger role. It will be a matter of whether or not he wins the spot in training camp.