The St. Louis Blues put forward Zach Dean on waivers this afternoon, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Dean had won a spot out of camp after edging out Oskar Sundqvist and Nathan Walker, and he appeared in three games. But he has been out of the lineup over the past week, with Aleksanteri Kaskimaki sliding into the fourth line in the team’s most recent game.
The 23-year-old’s path has been a winding one since Vegas took him in the first round, 30th overall, five years ago. He was dealt to St. Louis in February 2023 in the Ivan Barbashev trade, a one-for-one swap that came at a point when Dean still carried real value as a promising QMJHL scorer.
At that stage, Dean was viewed as a player with two-way top-nine upside, with a game that drew comparisons to Barbashev’s. The Golden Knights’ habit of moving prospects drew plenty of skepticism, but that trade has tilted clearly in their favor.
Barbashev made an immediate impact on the way to a Stanley Cup, his second, then re-signed in Vegas and remains a key top-six piece. Dean, by contrast, has not climbed to that level.
His AHL numbers have been modest, with 14 points in his first 49 games for Springfield. Still, he earned a call-up in March 2024 and made his NHL debut against Ottawa, though he finished that nine-game stint without a point. He went back to Springfield the next season, and the Alberta native was limited to 11 games two seasons ago while dealing with multiple injuries.
Dean also went through the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program early last year and was cleared last January. Then, in last spring’s Calder Cup playoffs, he delivered one of Springfield’s biggest moments, scoring the overtime winner as the Thunderbirds stunned the top-ranked Providence Bruins in a four-games-to-one series win.
Even with everything he has dealt with, Dean’s ability to crack the Blues’ roster this fall over more established veterans was notable. St.
Louis valued his energy and two-way play enough to give him a look, but he has yet to record his first NHL point in 12 scoreless games. If he clears waivers, the 6-foot center will head back to the AHL and try to generate more offense while pushing for another NHL chance.
He is set to be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
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