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The St. Louis Blues AHL affiliate, Springfield Thunderbirds, announced their initial training camp roster on Sept. 30, and it options three ahead prospects which Blues followers will need to maintain observe of how they’re doing this season.
The Blues group has utterly rebuilt their prospect pool during the last three drafts and followers can stay up for some younger up-and-coming expertise.
Certainly one of these gamers has the potential to be a call-up choice for St. Louis all through the upcoming season, whereas the opposite two will contend for normal lineup spots with the Thunderbirds.
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Let’s talk about the three ahead Blues prospects followers will need to control throughout the 2024-25 AHL season in Springfield.
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C, Dalibor Dvorsky
Realistically, expectations had been set perhaps too excessive for Dalibor Dvorsky heading into his second coaching camp with the group. The 2023 tenth total decide is barely 19 years previous and does not flip 20 till June 15.
Sure, he is had expertise enjoying on the skilled degree abroad in Sweden, however the group does not want him but, and enjoying within the AHL is the sensible transfer for his growth.
Related: Dvorsky Will Let The St. Louis Blues Know When He’s NHL-Ready
The Slovak middle performed three pre-season video games however was held off the scoresheet and was a minus-4. His intelligence and positional consciousness had been on show together with the added muscle he is placed on to enhance his puck safety abilities.
Alas, his foot velocity and tempo for the NHL degree must quicken. Additionally, Dvorsky’s offensive play was tentative all through the pre-season and he did not present a lot confidence with the puck.
Dvorsky ought to begin the season contending for a spot as a top-six middle in Springfield with Zach Dean and Nikita Alexandrov.
RW, Simon Robertsson
Simon Robertsson had a robust displaying on the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase final month with three factors in two video games and scored in his pre-season debut towards Utah on Sept. 22.
The group’s third-round, 71st-overall decide within the 2021 NHL Entry Draft has caught the attention of the Blues teaching workers in his first look since coming over from Sweden.
Related: Drew Bannister impressed by St. Louis Blues prospect Simon Robertsson
“He is received actually good hockey sense. He is aggressive. He stays on pucks, he appears to be round pucks lots, he is robust down low, issues that usually you do not see from 20-, 21-year-olds, issues that they nonetheless should develop into together with his particulars and his habits however good skater and actually robust on the puck. Actually comfortable together with his camp to date,” mentioned Blues Head Coach Drew Bannister on what he is seen out of Robertsson.
Robertsson struggled to constantly safe a top-nine position whereas enjoying within the SHL in Sweden. He did, nevertheless, win the SHL Championship final season with Skelleftea enjoying 15 video games within the playoffs for them.
At 21 years previous and getting into his first season in North America, the Swedish ahead should earn his carry on Springfield’s roster, however he has the qualities of a professional participant that ought to assist his transition to the AHL degree.
Reese Strickland-Imagn Photos
C/LW, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki
The final participant is a sleeper prospect in Finnish ahead Aleksanteri Kaskimaki.
Kaskimaki, 20, signed his entry-level contract in late Might this 12 months after finishing his second full season with HIFK within the prime Finnish males’s league Liiga. He additionally performed a top-six position for Finland on the 2024 World Juniors recording two objectives and two assists in seven video games.
Aleksanteri was drafted within the third-round, 73rd total within the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He is performed 89 Liiga video games, scoring 13 objectives and 24 factors within the final two seasons mixed.
Related: 3 Bold St. Louis Blues Predictions in 2024-25
The six-foot, 192-pound ahead is a sneaky good participant. He does not flash high-end velocity or eye-popping creativity with the puck, however performs a robust two-way recreation and showcases above-average playmaking imaginative and prescient. Kaskimaki shortly surveys the ice to determine his passing choices in transition and when retrieving pucks alongside the wall within the offensive zone.
Moreover, he is received a sturdy body that can solely get stronger as he packs on extra muscle, and generally is a difficult forechecker to deal with for defenders.
Kaskimaki may cut up time between the ECHL and AHL in 2024-25, however I would not depend him out as a rookie for the Thunderbirds who set up a full-time spot of their bottom-six.
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