Dalibor Dvorský averages 12:34 of ice time across 11 games in the NHL this season, dropping from his 14:20 average in 71 appearances during his rookie campaign with the St. Louis Blues.
Roster Additions Shift Center Depth
The arrival of Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks alongside Connor McMichael reshaped the center ice hierarchy in St. Louis. St. Louis Blues assistant coach Václav Prospal explained that the team needed Dvorský to fill a top-six spot given his offensive profile, but the summer acquisitions changed the dynamic. Now his role is more demanding because he should be a player for the first two lines, since he has a more offensive mindset and is a shooter,
Prospal said via NHL.com. Prospal noted that while the coaching staff relies on Dvorský for scoring, the arrival of new centermen absorbed both his ice time and his previous assignment.
That adjustment pushed Dvorský primarily into a third-line role. In an article for The Athletic cited by Aktuality, reporter Jeremy Rutherford detailed that the Slovak forward has failed to reach the 13 to 15 minutes of nightly ice time typically expected of a third-line center, logging under 11 minutes in three of his first ten games and losing his spot on the second power-play unit. Additional reporting from Aktuality noted that Dvorský briefly logged 15:05 of ice time in a 6-2 victory against the Vegas Golden Knights, surpassing McTavish’s total by nearly a minute in that specific matchup.
,fit(1200:) "Photo: Aktuality")
Adjusting to the Third Line
Dvorský currently centers the third line alongside veteran wingers Pavel Buchnevich and Jake Neighbours. Now it’s just a matter of doing it regularly,
Neighbours said.
Reflecting on his second year, Dvorský emphasized his personal development. I think I’ve improved in several areas, even though I have to keep working on many of them and get better every day.
Shot, skating, faceoffs.
There’s a lot,
the forward told NHL.com. He also noted that facing players like Jack Eichel, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid on faceoffs is a unique experience.
Next Checkpoint
The St. Louis Blues continue their regular-season schedule with upcoming matchups on the NHL calendar, where Dvorský will look to solidify his role under the coaching staff’s expectations.
