The St. Louis Blues only had two games on the schedule, but there was still enough action to sort through after a shutout of the Dallas Stars on Friday and a hard-fought loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
From a short week came a clear trio of standouts: Joel Hofer, Dalibor Dvorsky and Pius Suter.
Hofer led the way. The Blues’ MVP from last season opened this year by making a statement against a dangerous Stars attack, turning aside all 25 shots for his first shutout of the season.
He became the first Blues goalie other than Jordan Binnington to start a season-opening game since 2018, when Jake Allen did it, and he backed that assignment with a clean sheet. After tying for second-most shutouts in the NHL last season, he’s already off and rolling again.
He also chipped in with the puck on his stick. Hofer handled it several times and picked up an assist on Suter’s goal, which puts him tied for the team lead in helpers for now.
That won’t last forever, and neither will the odd stat line of having created more goals than he has allowed against. Still, it fits the early read on him: Hofer looks comfortable, and he looks ready to own the job.
Dvorsky wasn’t far behind. The 2023 first-round pick is part of the organization’s youth movement, and he’s started the 2026-27 season in promising fashion after putting up 12 goals in 71 games last year. On Friday, he finished off the sequence set up by Suter, and on Saturday he scored the Blues’ only goal in the loss.
It was a “impressive no-look backhand goal from Mr. Dvorsky. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/M7usHJZV9s
- St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 4, 2026
There’s also the faceoff work to keep an eye on. Dvorsky won 40% of his draws in both games, which matters because the Blues began the season trusting him to center the third line.
Another route would have been sliding Suter up and moving Dvorsky to the wing, so his usage is worth watching as the season develops. If he keeps scoring at his current pace, though, the 84-goal projection will drown out a lot of concern about the dot.
Suter rounded out the list with a strong opening-night showing. Skating as the fourth-line center on Friday, the Swiss forward made a slick play behind the net, stripped the puck, and forced Jake Oettinger off balance before feeding Philip Broberg in front.
Broberg then set up Dvorsky for the goal. Suter later added an empty-netter of his own.
That kind of versatility is exactly why he matters to this group. He can play center or wing and slide into different forward spots when needed.
Friday was the good version of that value. Saturday was quieter, with a minus-1 rating and no shots on goal, but he remains a forward worth tracking.
The Blues now move into a three-game week. They wrap up the road trip Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks, then come home Thursday for the first home game of the season against Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks at Enterprise Center.
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