The Blues are watching Dalibor Dvorsky grow, and that could mean more beyond training camp.
Dvorsky, the team’s first-round pick in 2023, is entering his second season of professional hockey in North America and came into training camp with an outside shot at cracking the opening night roster in the NHL. During Saturday’s 4-2 exhibition loss to the Blackhawks, Dvorsky submitted his strongest effort of the preseason, including scoring a first-period goal.
“I really thought, especially talking about the first two periods, I thought his game was a lot stronger,” Blues associate coach Steve Ott said. “He’s continuing to grow through camp. He’s an exciting player. He had a lot of good puck possession, some strong plays and his growth continued to excel as this camp’s gone on.”
About six minutes into the game on Saturday night, Dvorsky skated up the right wing and received a cross-ice pass from Juraj Pekarcik in the neutral zone. He took on Blackhawks defenseman Louis Crevier, pulled the puck closer to him and then beat goaltender Spencer Knight clean from the top of the circle.
It was Dvorsky’s first goal of the preseason.
“I had a 1 on 1 there with the D, and I just try to shoot it between his legs so the goalie can’t see the puck,” Dvorsky said. “I’m happy it went in. … I don’t really think about scoring a goal when shooting that shot. I just wanted to get it to the net and see what happens.”
Dvorsky’s line with Pekarcik and Justin Carbonneau was the Blues’ most dangerous one in the first period. After Dvorsky’s goal, Pekarcik created a scoring chance by toe-dragging his way to the net, but his pass didn’t connect with Carbonneau’s drive to the net. Later in the period, the line created an extended offensive zone possession with a good forecheck.
Ott said Dvorsky’s overall game has taken steps.
“The defensive side of things, it’s new for any young player, especially a young centerman,” Ott said. “It’s probably the hardest role to learn at a young age. He’s seeing growth. In practice, we’re seeing great clips of him doing the right things, starting to read off of it where it’s becoming natural to him. When it’s translating into tonight’s game, he’s taking the right step.”
Dvorsky: “I think my game without the puck has improved. Some of the defensive game is getting better. Obviously, my offensive game, that’s what should be my best asset. I think that’s going pretty well so far, but I’m just trying to go day by day and focus on each day.”
Dvorsky also drew a holding penalty on Crevier in the second period that put the Blues on the power play.
Dvorsky was not credited with any takeaways, but officials only logged one takeaway in the entire game – by Pavel Buchnevich midway through the second period.
“Starting on the defensive side of things, he was able to strip a lot of pucks tonight, regaining that possession, making strong plays out of there,” Ott said. “Offensively, I thought he had some good looks. He was setting up his linemates well. Just the way he’s tracking, he’s playing more of a pro game every single game from him.”
Dvorsky, 20, was taken 10th in 2023, becoming the highest-drafted Blues player since Alex Pietrangelo. He lit up the OHL with Sudbury in 2023-24, scoring 45 goals in 52 games, and then was an AHL All-Star as a teenager a season ago.
If Dvorsky was a typical Canadian junior player instead of a Slovakian import, he would just be turning pro this fall. But because of his development path, he already has a 45-point season in the AHL under his belt heading into this season.
“Every single player is great on this level, so every player’s a threat,” Dvorsky said. “So I’ve just got to be ready all the time. I also think I learned to play the system pretty good. I’m just trying to do my best every single game.”
Dvorsky’s best chance at making the team out of training camp is as a winger in the bottom six. Dvorsky is naturally a center, but with the offseason additions of Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad, and the returns of Robert Thomas, Brayden Schenn and Oskar Sundqvist, the Blues will likely have to play a center out of position already.
At wing, Dvorsky would be free of the heavy defensive responsibility that the Blues place on their centers, and potentially more open to contribute offensively. It’s a path that Thomas himself followed in 2018-19, when he was a rookie right winger on the third line for the Stanley Cup champions.
Dvorsky survived the first mass exodus to Springfield on Sunday, but will still have to beat players like Sundqvist, Bjugstad, Mathieu Joseph and Alexandre Texier if he wants playing time in St. Louis. The roster has to be at 23 players on Oct. 6 at 4 p.m.
A look at the prospects of Jimmy Snuggerud, the St. Louis Blues rookie who is on a line with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich.
Fowler’s extension was announced during the Blues’ 4-2 preseason loss to the Blackhawks on Saturday night, a piece of news that overshadowed whatever happened on the ice at Enterprise Center.
Oliver Moore scored with 3:01 remaining in the third period, moments after Colton Dach leveled Oskar Sundqvist in the neutral zone with a knee-on-knee hit.
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Matthew DeFranks | Post-Dispatch
Hockey reporter
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