MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- When St. Louis Blues prospects stepped onto the ice to get in a couple days of workouts prior to playing in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase this past weekend, assistant general manager Tim Taylor noticed a quick observation.
“I don’t know if you guys noticed, Dvorsky looked like he had a bigger jump or better step in his feet,” Taylor said of Dalibor Dvorsky, the 10th pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
That same Dalibor Dvorsky that will be in a group of a handful or two high-end draft picks that will be in camp that begins on Thursday to try and win a job.
The odds are probably more against him than favorable, considering that the Blues have 14 forwards on one-way contracts, but this is Dvorsky’s objective heading in, as it will be for the likes of others: take someone’s job.
And after getting a taste of the big life a year ago playing in two NHL games, being told to be patient and work hard for his turn, Dvorsky knows this is his first real test and opportunity to force management’s hand at giving him a full-time job here, and he’s more than motivated.
“Oh yeah, I feel real motivated,” he said. “My goal is to play here, so I feel really motivated. I'm (was) ready for rookie camp and (now) training camp and I'm excited to get started.”
Dvorsky, who had 45 points (21 goals, 24 assists) in 61 games for Springfield of the American Hockey League last season, his first full season there, said his summer’s been good. When told that those above watching him last week working out with fellow prospects that noticed the speed has ramped up, Dvorsky said he’s “tried to improve, get stronger and faster every summer. I feel faster this summer. I think I've improved in that. I feel good.”
The big question is if Dvorsky, who had a goal and an assist on Friday in a 6-4 win against the Minnesota Wild prospects, in fact does have a terrific training camp, whose job does he take away?
The Blues signed Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad to free agent contracts this summer, do don’t expect one of those jobs to be taken away. Could the 20-year-old wrestle a job away from veterans Mathieu Joseph or Alexandre Texier, each who has one year remaining on his contract? It’s unlikely he’d push Nathan Walker, Oskar Sundqvist or Alexey Toropchenko out of the mix since Dvorsky is not a fourth-line player and those will be fourth-line forwards.
But what is known is the Blues seem to have a pretty good grasp of where Dvorsky’s progression has taken him thus far and what lies ahead.
“I think that he got a real good taste of what pro hockey was all about at a young age at 19,” Taylor said. “Going to the Worlds, I went over to the Worlds and watched him play over there too (this past summer). Now he’s experiencing the ebbs and flows of what pro hockey’s all about. I think he just has a better grasp for himself of where he needs to get to and where he’s at right now.
“I don’t want to overstate this because it’s in practice, but he looks like he’s quicker, he looks like he’s more mature in his body and he feels … I just feel like he’s more comfortable in his skin and ready to take a grasp of the situation and see what this month has for him.”
Compared to a year ago, Dvorsky is not only faster but he’s bigger and stronger (6-foot-1, 201 pounds) and has a firm grasp of what needs to be done.
“I mean last year was my first camp. It was my first year, so I didn't really know what to expect from everything, but now I'm more experienced,” Dvorsky said. “This is my second time being here, so I know how I should have prepared and I know what to expect now. So I feel a little more comfortable now. But I'm staying motivated and I'm really excited to get started.
“… I think I'm good to adjust to the speed of the game. I played pro last year and I had two games up (in the NHL), so I know how fast I have to play to keep up. I've been working on it all summer, so I think I'm pretty good to adjust to the speed of the game.
“Two games is not a lot, but from what I've gotten the opportunity to play, I've learned that the speed is really high and the players are smarter, more skilled and maybe a little stronger. It's the best league in the world, so it's a really high level.”
A natural center, Dvorsky is up against it with Robert Thomas, Brayden Schenn, Suter, Sundqvist, Bjugstad, even Walker as the depth of guys at the center ice position. The Blues are known to get guys acclimated to the league by playing them on the wing to gain the necessary experience before thrusting someone into a tougher slot up the middle. Could that be in the works for Dvorsky? Whatever it takes.
“Yeah for sure, I'm open to it,” Dvorsky said. “That's the coach's decision -- whatever [Jim Montgomery] decides -- but yeah I've played on the wing as well. Like I said, it's up to the coach, what he says, and I'll just try to do my best on the ice.”
Dvorsky will get his shot starting Thursday. This isn’t a now-or-never situation. In fact, it’s just the beginning, but it’s the beginning of a real first opportunity from a draft class that essentially started with 2022 first-round pick Jimmy Snuggerud, who is a lock at making this year’s roster. Dvorsky is next in line.
“Definitely much closer because I've been here last year and I know much more what it takes to be here,” Dvorsky said. “But I go one step at a time. First it's the rookie tournament and then I’ll focus on the main camp.”