ST. LOUIS — Looking for more offense in general and someone with a shooting mentality on the power play, the St. Louis Blues called up Dalibor Dvorsky from AHL Springfield on Wednesday.
Dvorsky, the No. 10 pick in 2023, is expected to be in the lineup Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks.
“He’s playing, and he’ll be on the power play,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “His offensive skill set and his shot that can beat a goalie from distance is something that’s always beneficial to have in your lineup.”
In six games with Springfield this season, Dvorsky led the Thunderbirds with three goals.
The Blues are in need of some scoring potential with Robert Thomas (upper body) and Jake Neighbours (leg) out of the lineup. Thomas (day to day) is doubtful for Thursday’s game, and Neighbours will be reevaluated in five weeks.
“(The injuries) factor into it, for sure, because there’s an offensive element that we’re missing, so he can supply that,” Montgomery said.
In the past two games, Dvorsky had two power-play goals.
“He’s been very effective on the power play,” Montgomery said. “He’s feeling good about himself. He’s making plays, he’s scoring goals, and that’s why he’s the guy that’s called up.”
The Blues’ power play ranks No. 15 in the NHL (20.7 percent). The unit has had 29 opportunities this season but produced just 35 shots, which is the fifth-fewest in the league. So Dvorsky will be counted on to shoot the puck, and that should be no problem considering he has taken a team-high 22 attempts in the AHL this season.
Montgomery said Dvorsky will play center, his natural position, despite spending some time on the wing in training camp. It might take some time as he learns the responsibilities of the position in the Blues’ system.
“You’ve got to get the repetitions,” Montgomery said. “There’s patterns in the game, even though it’s a fluid game, (and) the more you see the patterns, the more muscle memory in your brain and the quicker you play. So you do need the reps.”
As Blues fans get set for Dvorsky’s return, let’s take a look at what else is on everyone’s mind in Part 1 of a mailbag.
(Note: Some questions have been lightly edited for length and clarity.)
The problem with this team is the core: Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich. They are not championship players. Do you agree, and what can we do about it? — John F.
I wrote a little about the core in Wednesday’s article but did not get this specific. All three players can be part of a championship team. The question is whether they can collectively build the Blues into a championship team. They’d all have to raise their level of play to provide what it takes to make a deep run in the playoffs, but that’s not impossible.
Buchnevich is 30, Kyrou is 27 and Thomas is 26, and even though they’re all veterans, they’re still learning. Look at the Blues’ Stanley Cup team in 2019: David Perron was 30, and Ryan O’Reilly was 27. I’m not comparing the players; I’m just saying I don’t agree that they can’t become championship players. Players win the Cup every year after being painted the same way earlier in their careers.
And if they’re not championship players, what can the Blues do? There would be plenty of takers for Thomas and Kyrou, with their production, potential and reasonable salary-cap hits ($8.125 million average annual value). Perhaps that’s true for Buchnevich, too, but less so considering he’s older and just starting a new six-year, $48 million contract ($8 million AAV).
Pavel Buchnevich is in the first year of a six-year contract. (Jeff Curry / Imagn Images)
It seems every year we hear Doug Armstrong say, “We need our top guys to be our top guys.” Could it be that these players have an undue amount of pressure on them to be better than they are? — Zachary W.
That’s valid, but it’s not an excuse for them not to be better. The natural feeling of fans is to compare your team and players to others around the league, but you can’t do that with top-five picks who are not just the faces of their team but also the league.
Thomas was a first-round pick. Kyrou was a high second-round pick. They might never be superstars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but they can be stars. There’s pressure to match up every night against some generational players, but it’s not undue pressure where fans are wondering why they can’t be those guys.
Montgomery has talked a lot about playing as a team, but what specifically is he referencing? Do we have guys who are playing for individual stats? What are we missing here? — Joseph R.
What I read into his comments wasn’t necessarily selfishness, like “I’ve got to get mine.” To me, it was more like players wanting to score or produce to get themselves going. That’s understandable, but when you’re playing like that, it doesn’t always lend itself to sound team play.
They can’t start games the right way, they can’t finish games the right way, and it doesn’t seem to be a talent issue but an effort issue. How does this team get back on track? — Cory S.
I agree, and all you have to do is look at Tuesday’s game, when they were trailing the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 and went 14:32 without a shot on goal. It didn’t seem like I was watching a desperate team giving a good effort. How do you get on track? Ice time and getting rid of guys are the only ways to fix an effort issue.
This team seems to be like last year’s in that they are good when they are good but crater when things go bad. Have any of the players talked about the spirit/resolve? It seems fragile. — Anonymous
Very fragile, which is surprising considering the way they finished last season. That question has been asked, but the players aren’t going to acknowledge any resiliency issues. They typically just talk about what they can do better structurally and stay out of those situations.
Do you think Montgomery is regretting signing a five-year deal yet? — Jeremy B.
I know this question is in jest, but the answer is no, not for a minute. He loves a good challenge, and he has one.
The only thing I don’t care for with Montgomery is the line blender. Why is he so hell-bent on this? — Tom M.
I actually enjoy watching how he handles the line combinations. Going into the game in Detroit last week, he really mixed them up. He wanted a worker bee on each line. He later acknowledged that keeping the lines that way wasn’t sustainable and switched them back. I understand the reaction when you see a Dylan Holloway on the fourth line, but a lot of thought goes into it.
If everyone were healthy and the lines were producing and he was still mixing them up, I’d completely understand, but that’s not the case.
What are your thoughts about the Blues’ performance at home versus on the road this season, and why such a poor start at home? — Dennis B.
I was wondering the same thing, and I even wrote about it. It seemed inexplicable that they were playing so poorly at home. But with the losses in Detroit and Pittsburgh, it became a little clearer that they were not playing good hockey in general and just happened to play a majority of their games at home at the time.
Is it illegal to put a taser device inside the Blues’ sweaters so whenever a player is 10 feet around the net and decides to pass the puck instead of shoot, he gets zapped? — Philip L.
If that were possible, I know some people in the 300-level who would pay good money for the taser. I can hear them from the press box.
It seems like the first power-play unit doesn’t get in front of the net and block the goalie’s view. Is this how you see it? — Michael M.
There’s not nearly enough traffic in front. The first unit doesn’t always have a player at the net front because they’re moving guys around and looking for backdoor passes and quick shots. It can work if they’re converting those chances, but a lot of passes have been sailing through the slot and even the back door, and the player on the receiving end of those passes can’t get a good stick on the puck.
Why won’t the Blues use Jimmy Snuggerud on the left dot to blast one-timers on the power play? — Tony B.
The theory is fine, but the execution — getting him the puck and getting the shot off — is not. Snuggerud has had about 21 minutes of power-play ice time this season, and he has taken only three shots, according to Natural Stat Trick. The unit has been so predictable with its passing that it’s hard to make him a legitimate threat.
When will they give up on the bumper on the power play? — Joseph R.
The Blues probably won’t go away from it, and I’m not saying they should. The problem is Buchnevich in the bumper spot, where Zack Bolduc was at times last season. Buchnevich seems to be having trouble catching those passes or takes too long to get the shot off.
Philip Broberg is the most offensively talented defenseman on the team. Why are they not utilizing him on the PP? — Chris B.
That will probably happen at some point in Broberg’s career, but right now, they like Cam Fowler and Justin Faulk in those spots. I can see an argument for Broberg over Faulk, especially when the unit isn’t clicking, but I don’t see it as a huge difference.
Do you think our defensemen are getting exposed by faster teams? — Drew L.
The Blues have not been good against the rush. A little of that has to do with the goalies letting in goals, but the Utah Mammoth and the Red Wings got a lot of time and space. It’s not that the Blues are getting slower. It’s more about a lack of connectivity and indecisiveness leading to more good ice for the opposition.
Logan Mailloux is going through growing pains while adjusting to the NHL. (Bob Frid / Imagn Images)
What is wrong with Logan Mailloux? — Joe. B.
He’ll be fine. He has played 15 NHL games. The Blues are trying to be competitive and to develop players at the same time, and these are the complications of that blueprint.
Why not send Mailloux to the AHL for 10 games so he can play 25 minutes a night? — Scott F.
The only way he’s going to get better is by playing in the NHL. It might help the Blues to have him in the AHL now, but he won’t be able to help them in the NHL in a couple of years if he’s there now.
How sick are you of hearing Bolduc-Mailloux comparisons? — Drew F.
The minute I saw the trade, I knew it was only a matter of months before they’d be coming in. So it’s part of the job, but the tough part is trying to preach patience without guaranteeing the trade will work in the Blues’ favor.
Would it make more sense to bring in a veteran defenseman like Ryan Suter? — David W.
The Blues probably miss Suter more than I thought they would. But as I wrote above, my perspective on this is to look at what’s best for the future. Suter would help them now, but getting Tucker and Mailloux more games should be the priority.
Do we need to get Joel Hofer a psychiatrist? He looks shell-shocked! Any explanation? — G.R.
Players go through stuff. He’s a good goalie and might be a really good one. He made a bad pass against Chicago that led to a goal, and once that happened, things snowballed on him. I’d be surprised if it lasted much longer.