The St. Louis Blues have already suffered two big losses, with Logan Mailloux and Tyler Tucker heading to the Injured Reserve earlier this week. Now, during the 4-0 victory over Dallas in game one of 84, another one bites the dust.
Alexey Toropchenko was sandwiched between Stars players Lian Bechsel and Tyler Seguin and went down awkwardly. Grabbing his shoulder with a limp arm, it did not look good as he skated off the ice.
Alexey Toropchenko was helped off the ice after getting hit into Tyler Seguin by Lian Bichsel 😬
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 3, 2026
Hoping he's going to be okay 🙏 pic.twitter.com/9xBSFRqAKd
The Blues are going to scramble a bit, but luckily, this is why they have a surplus of depth players in Springfield for this exact reason. But who steps up next?
With the success of Adam Jiricek on the blue line, Montgomery might want to look toward another fresh face to make his NHL debut rather than the likes of Nathan Walker or Oskar Sundqvist.
Enter Dylan Peterson
The easy answer for replacing Toropchenko’s grit and tenacity is to bring up Dylan Peterson. This kid was a menace in preseason, and watching him go toe-to-toe against NHL talent would be a delight. He fits the bill perfectly as he is a rough and tough forward that could replicate the same playstyle as No. 13.
There is some concern that he is a bit more than just a player who causes knuckles to be thrown. Peterson showed a bit of a solid forecheck in preseason, but can that translate to a real NHL game? His trajectory to the Blues seems a bit rushed, but it might be time to see what he can do.
Or is it time for Carbonneau?
There is another option worth mentioning, and with the current status of the Blues, it might make sense. The offense was buzzing in the 4-0 victory, as all four lines were rolling with ease. Why not toss Justin Carbonneau an NHL debut as well?
He was designated to Springfield as he needed more time to develop. But with a big hole in the fourth line, as well as the penalty kill, it could be time to see what the 2025 first-round pick has to offer.
This could be vetoed due to the fact that he would get more minutes in Springfield versus AHL talent. We saw what happened with Carbonneau when he went back to playing in the QMJHL, and the same should follow suit with another year in Springfield.
At the very least, this injury with Toropchenko seems to have a replacement. It is all just a matter of who.
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