The Blues have spent the offseason reshaping the top of their forward group with the additions of Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael, but that doesn’t mean Dalibor Dvorsky should be bumped off center.
That’s the bigger point here: St. Louis can add talent up front without taking the easiest route and sliding the 21-year-old Slovakian to the wing. The organization’s center depth is still thin, and with 2026 first-round draft pick Tynan Lawrence at least two seasons away from pushing for an NHL job, the Blues need to keep building a real pipeline down the middle.
Giving Dvorsky a legitimate run at center to open the season could be the move that helps shape that future.
A center group built around Robert Thomas, McTavish and Dvorsky would give St. Louis a nice mix of skill sets heading into the 2026-27 season: elite playmaking, physicality and finishing ability.
Dvorsky already showed last season that he can handle the work. As a rookie, he took 729 faceoffs and won 46% of them, going 335-394.
That kind of number matters for a first-year player, especially when anything around 45% is usually a good sign on the dot.
McTavish’s arrival also gives head coach Jim Montgomery more room to maneuver. He can slide McTavish between the 2C and 3C spots, while McMichael adds another layer of flexibility as either a winger or a center when injuries strike or the lineup needs a different look.
That versatility only helps if Dvorsky stays where he belongs. If he’s moved to the wing too soon, the Blues could end up spending assets later to patch up the bottom six.
There’s also the long-view argument, and it’s the stronger one. Center is still the premium position in the NHL, and Dvorsky has the kind of finishing touch that has already shown up at the junior level and in the AHL.
If he keeps developing his 200-foot game while staying at center, St. Louis could eventually have three dangerous scoring lines down the middle.
Until Lawrence finishes his NCAA path and whatever AHL time follows, the Blues’ best play is pretty clear: give Dvorsky a full-time chance at center, let the 10th overall pick develop in the middle, and use that flexibility to help the roster now and later.
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