Dalibor Dvorsky’s second NHL season is shaping up as a real checkpoint for the St. Louis Blues.
The 2023 top-ten pick is entering his age 21 year with expectations beginning to climb, and the Blues will be looking for more than a quiet follow-up from a player who already flashed enough to matter. Dvorsky may not be matching some of the names from his draft class, but he still projects as a meaningful piece of St. Louis’ future, especially if he grows into the kind of power-play threat the organization can lean on.
His rookie season was steady rather than loud. Dvorsky appeared in 71 regular-season games for the Blues, averaged 14:20 a night and finished with 12 goals and nine assists for 21 points.
Five of those goals came with the man advantage, which is where his game is expected to do a lot of its best work as he moves deeper into his NHL prime. For a first-year player, those numbers were solid enough.
He did fine, even if he didn’t immediately change the way games were played.
There was another strong showing tucked into his year as well: Dvorsky was outstanding for Team Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympic games in Milan.
Now the focus shifts to what comes next. As a sophomore, Dvorsky has to prove he can stay at center at the pro level.
Even if the answer ends up being third-line center, that kind of clarity would help the Blues sort out the rest of their lineup and address other needs. To get there, he’ll need to hold up defensively and improve in the faceoff circle, where he’s at 46 percent for his career.
The Blues have enough veterans that Dvorsky doesn’t need to explode right away, but they do need their young players to keep moving. If he’s still just a 20-point forward, that won’t be enough to lock him into the long-term plan.
What St. Louis needs from him in 2026-27 is straightforward: a dependable third-line forward who can chip in offensively and help the power play.
That would be a solid sophomore season, and a strong base for whatever comes next.
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With Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk no longer around, the leadership picture has shifted and Neighbours is among the players positioned to help fill that space. A letter on his jersey would be a natural next step, and the bigger question is whether a larger responsibility off the ice comes with the kind of offensive rebound that could push him back into 20-goal territory if he stays healthy. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Are Betting Big On An Offseason Plan That Could Backfire
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Jordan Binnington also stayed put despite plenty of trade chatter, leaving the goaltending picture as one of the biggest variables hanging over the season. Add in the pressure on Robert Thomas to drive the offense, and the Blues enter camp with a familiar kind of uncertainty: they expect to contend for a postseason spot, but the answer may depend on whether their biggest offseason bets pay off in time. [Read more 🡒]