51ºÚÁÏ

At first glance, it sure seems like a flashing neon sign from the Blues aimed at the 20-year-old left-shoot centerman and 2023 first-round draft pick Dalibor Dvorsky (10th overall) that reads, “NOT YET YOUNGSTER.�

Actually, forget about the first glance. Upon every glance, that’s how it looks.

And now, the intriguing part. How will Dvorsky respond? Does he take personally the organization’s moves to solidify the center position — you know, in that Michael Jordan meme type of way — where it ignites something in him that raises his play to another level?

Dvorsky’s performance will be worth monitoring during Blues training camp next week. It will tell us a lot about the young man’s drive and ability to rise to competition. A bit of a chip on your shoulder can be a good thing, if used right.

I asked Dvorsky this week if he felt like he was closer to being ready for his ultimate goal of playing in the NHL.

“I mean, definitely much closer because I’ve been here last year and I know now much more what it takes to be here,� Dvorsky said. “But I go one step at a time. First, it’s rookie tournament then I’ll focus on the main camp.�

Dvorsky spoke to a group of reporters on Thursday at Centene Community Ice Center after the first day of prospect practice in advance of this weekend’s Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase. Blues prospects have a pair of games in Minnesota this weekend before the Blues start camp next week.

Dvorsky, who skated on a line flanked by wings Justin Carbonneau (this year’s top draft pick) and Otto Stenberg (selected 25th overall in 2023) in practices leading up to the weekend games, said his goal for the weekend was to “play my game� and show he can help lead the team to wins.

Then he’ll turn his attention to camp.

“Last year was my first camp and it was my first year, so I didn’t know what to expect from everything,� Dvorsky said. “But now, I’m more experienced. This is my second time being here, so I know how I should have prepared and I know what to expect now. So I feel a little more comfortable, maybe, but staying motivated and excited to get started.�

Yes, “motivated.� He probably should approach this as though he has some things to prove.

Doug Armstrong, the Blues president of hockey operations and general manager, made it clear at the end of last season that the hopes remain high for Dvorsky. At the same time, they’re not going to force feed him situations that they don’t think he’s ready to handle.

Case in point, late last season when the Blues brought up a group of young players to practice with the club and travel throughout the playoffs, Dvorsky wasn’t part of the group because he had the chance to play for his national team in the IIHF World Championships.

Oh, and Dvorsky also wasn’t likely to be chosen if the Blues needed to make a roster move.

“One of the things that we felt as we were pushing to play meaningful games — he wasn’t ready for that every night,� Armstrong said back in May. “If we had got into the playoffs, the physical maturity wasn’t there. We wouldn’t have gone to him. We would have gone to other guys anyways.�

Even before the offseason signings, Armstrong wasn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for Dvorsky at this early stage of his career. It was always going to be a matter of him showing that he belonged before the Blues assuming he belonged.

“We’re not putting expectations that are unrealistic for him,� Armstrong said. “He has to come in. He has to have a great summer. He knows he has to earn a spot. There’s nothing given to him. If he can do it, great. If he doesn’t make the team out of training camp next year, it’s part of the process.�

That is not to say that anyone is down on Dvorsky. The Blues saw a lot of qualities they liked in him — playmaking as well as scoring, offensive instincts, intelligence, skill, strength on the puck, the ability to play a physical game and overall upside — which prompted them to use the 10th overall pick to get him.

Dvorsky, who made his professional debut last season, landed on the American Hockey League’s 2024-25 Top Prospects Team as selected by the league’s hockey operations department as well as the AHL general managers.

Dvorsky, an AHL regular season All-Star for Springfield, was one of just three forwards in the league chosen for the Top Prospects Team. As a 19-year-old (he turned 20 this summer), he scored 21 goals and handed out 24 assists in 61 games. He also tied for second among rookies in the AHL in power play goals (10).

The 6-foot-1, 201-pound Dvorsky has now had a year of adjusting to the professional game, playing on a smaller ice surface and against more mature players. He’s said he made clear strides in his defensive zone over the course of last season in the AHL.

“I think that he got a real good taste of what pro hockey was all about at a young age, at 19, and going to the Worlds,� Blues assistant general manager Tim Taylor said. “I went over to the Worlds and watched him there too. Now, he’s experiencing what the ebbs and flows of pro hockey is all about. He just has a better grasp, for himself, of where he needs to get to and where he’s at.

“I don’t want to overstate this because it’s practice, but he looks like he’s quicker. He looks like he’s more mature in his body. I don’t know. I just feel like he’s more comfortable in his skin and ready to take a grasp of the situation and see what this month has for him.�

Dvorsky’s performance will certainly be worth watching this fall.