The St. Louis Blues are ready to drop the puck on the opening to the 2023-24 season. Despite the number of veteran forwards on the roster, fans were seemingly excited for the opportunity to see one or two of the team’s top prospects, Zachary Bolduc and Zach Dean make the opening night roster. To little surprise, the Blues opted to send both to the American Hockey League (AHL) to start the season with the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Current Roster Limits Opportunity
Both drafted in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Bolduc was selected 17th overall by the Blues and Dean was drafted 30th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights. The two forwards, both known for their offensive abilities, were standout players in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) during the 2022-23 season.
With the Gatineau Olympiques, Dean scored a career-high 33 goals and 70 points through 50 regular season games and continued his impressive year into the postseason scoring 10 goals and 26 points. Their season concluded after meeting the 50-goal scorer Bolduc and the Quebec Remparts in the semifinals and were defeated in a four-game series sweep. Bolduc and the Remparts ultimately went on to win the QMJHL’s Gilles-Courteau Trophy and the Canadian Hockey League’s Memorial Cup.
The two standout players’ regular season and postseason production piqued Blues fans’ interest in hopes that they would see them in St. Louis on the opening night roster. However, with several NHL veterans and little salary cap flexibility, there was a very small chance they would be awarded the opportunity. With players like Alexey Toropchenko, Nikita Alexandrov, Jake Neighbours, and Oskar Sundqvist rounding out most of the bottom-six roster spots, there was little to no room for either player to earn a consistent role on the team’s third line. Starting the season in the AHL with the Thunderbirds ultimately provides the two prospects the opportunity to earn regular playing time on the top three forward lines, and on the power play.
Blues Could See Bolduc and Dean by End of Season
Before the two were assigned to Springfield, Blues head coach Craig Berube commented on the playing abilities of the two individuals, recognizing their compete level and how they had improved every day as training camp went along. However, there are a few scenarios in which fans could see one or both of these players before the end of the season. Though neither of these situations are ones that fans may care for.
For the second season in a row, the Blues have multiple expiring contracts they will need to address before the NHL trade deadline. With supporting cast forwards like Sundqvist, Kasperi Kapanen, Jakub Vrana, and Sammy Blais all listed as pending unrestricted free agents, the team could opt to move one or all of these players ahead of the deadline. If the club is performing poorly and out of a playoff spot before the deadline, these pending free agents and possibly even more players could become available. Another trade deadline that leaves the Blues as sellers could push Bolduc and Dean to the NHL sooner than anticipated.
While it may be unlikely that the Blues rush Bolduc and Dean’s development during their first season of professional hockey, if either player is showing himself as more than capable of handling the level of competition, an injury in the NHL could help encourage the team to call up one or both players. The Blues would likely exercise caution in this scenario as they are unlikely willing to waste a year of entry-level contract eligibility for an injury.
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Either situation is plausible for the Blues to pursue, albeit unlikely. With multiple players like Nathan Walker, Mackenzie MacEachern, and Adam Gaudette with NHL experience currently playing for the Thunderbirds this season, it is likely the club opts to turn to one of them before rushing along a long-term franchise piece if they feel they are not ready. The Blues will exercise patience and commitment to developing these young players for the best chance at long-term success not only for their players but for the franchise as a whole.
