The St. Louis Blues are fresh off a win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday afternoon. The Blues are fighting for a playoff spot at this time, so those two points are rather massive. Given the playoff race is heating up, St. Louis could use all the help they can get. And they are about to get reinforcement in the form of Dalibor Dvorsky.
The Blues have recalled top prospect from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, the team confirmed on Saturday night. Dvorsky has been subject to discussions around a potential call up for some time. However, the Blues front office has expressed a desire to only bring him up when the time is right.
“I think it’ll depend on how we’re playing, how we can input him into our team and how he’s playing, too,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said back on March 7th, via The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford. “He wants to be here, but we want his mind to be where his feet are, which is Springfield right now. It’s going to be based on a need, and it’s going to be based on if he can help us.”
How long will Blues keep Dalibor Dvorsky up?
The Blues did play without one of their more established players on Saturday against the Blackhawks. Pavel Buchnevich was held out of the lineup due to an illness. He was the only St. Louis regular to not skate in this game against Chicago, as Rutherford noted.
Without Buchnevich, the team only had 12 healthy forwards. St. Louis could play an 11-7 lineup, with 11 dressed forwards and seven defensemen. However, they are heading into the second leg of a back-to-back series with the Blackhawks. It would be smart for the team to carry a full squad of 13 forwards.
To this end, it may seem as if Dalibor Dvorsky is only coming up for depth purposes. Especially if there is another injury within the locker room. However, it does not mean he won’t play. And it certainly does not mean Dvorsky can’t be impactful if he sees the ice. He has 20 goals and 43 points for the Springfield Thunderbirds as a 19-year-old in the AHL. 10 of his 20 goals have come on the power play, as well.
Still, the former 10th overall pick has a shot to make an impression. If he slots into the lineup, a good performance could help extend his stay in the NHL. If he sticks around, he could gain valuable experience as the Blues chase a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
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