Injury Report: 2024 - 2025 Injury Reports

[Frenzy31]

I’d see what we have internally first. Try Holloway at C. Try Tex at C again. Sundqvist, Walker…but fact remains, the next 6 weeks are probably going to be a struggle. I’m not in favor of paying assets to bring in a short term bandaid solution. Sink or swim with this group. If a trade that makes sense now but also in the future materializes, go for it, but that’s unlikely so I’m not counting on it.

Alexandrov is off to a fast start also. We can bring him up and give him top 9 minutes.

 

[stl76]

I’d see what we have internally first. Try Holloway at C. Try Tex at C again. Sundqvist, Walker…but fact remains, the next 6 weeks are probably going to be a struggle. I’m not in favor of paying assets to bring in a short term bandaid solution. Sink or swim with this group. If a trade that makes sense now but also in the future materializes, go for it, but that’s unlikely so I’m not counting on it.

Pretty much this. Let’s see what we have for the immediate future and re-evaluate if necessary.

 

[Robb_K]

Will they have Holloway centre The 3rd Line, or The 2nd? I don't like Schenn at centre anymore. He's a lot better on the wing. I'd play Buchnevich on The 1st Line, Holloway on The 2nd, and try Texier on The 3rd, and put Sundqvist on The 4th, but on the wing, with Faksa at centre.

 

[Robb_K]

Alexandrov is off to a fast start also. We can bring him up and give him top 9 minutes.

Alexandrov had lots of holes in his game last season. Has he improved at all? Playing him at centre on The 3rd Line sounds like a mistake to me. I'd rather try Texier there.

 

[joe galiba]

Will they have Holloway centre The 3rd Line, or The 2nd? I don't like Schenn at centre anymore. He's a lot better on the wing. I'd play Buchnevich on The 1st Line, Holloway on The 2nd, and try Texier on The 3rd, and put Sundqvist on The 4th.

You forgot Faksa

 

[Robb_K]

You forgot Faksa

Yes I did. Thanks. I'd have Faksa at centre, and Sundqvist in a rotation with Walker or another winger

 

[STL fan in MN]

Will they have Holloway centre The 3rd Line, or The 2nd? I don't like Schenn at centre anymore. He's a lot better on the wing. I'd play Buchnevich on The 1st Line, Holloway on The 2nd, and try Texier on The 3rd, and put Sundqvist on The 4th, but on the wing, with Faksa at centre.

Holloway is playing 3C tonight.

Schenn at 1C but we’ll see how that goes…

 

[Celtic Note]

Can you imagine if that had been the approach with a 19 year old Robert Thomas?

But Thomas was ready. His all around game was much more developed and sending back to the OHL would have been a waste as he had outgrown it.

 

[joe galiba]

I was watching the historical documentary on the Holy Grail and the Black Knight kept fighting with both arms and both legs injured, I think injured players just need to suck it up more

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I was watching the historical documentary on the Holy Grail and the Black Knight kept fighting with both arms and both legs injured, I think injured players just need to suck it up more

I shall fart in your general direction.

 

[LogosBlue]

I was watching the historical documentary on the Holy Grail and the Black Knight kept fighting with both arms and both legs injured, I think injured players just need to suck it up more

Tis merely a flesh wound

 

[TurgPavs]

But Thomas was ready. His all around game was much more developed and sending back to the OHL would have been a waste as he had outgrown it.

I agree, but you really dont know what you have with Dvorsky until you throw him out there for a few games.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

When Leddy comes Back they should ease him into the lineup on the 3rd pair with POJ or Kessel. Keep Suter with Colt for right now.

 

[Brian39]

Can you imagine if that had been the approach with a 19 year old Robert Thomas?

In his age 19 season, Thomas got 13 minutes a night of highly sheltered minutes. He was 10th or lower on the team in total time on ice and even strength time on ice (total and per game). He also played the lowest quality of competition among all our forwards who played 400+ minutes at 5 on 5 that year.

Additionally, he played significantly more at wing, acting as the team's 6th most frequent center. When they did have him at center, they regularly put another actual center at wing to help cover some of the defensive responsibilities.

So I don't really have to imagine it. The reality is that we very much did not rush Thomas into middle 6 or top 6 center usage in his age 19 season. We bent over backwards to protect him as much as possible since he wasn't AHL eligible and we didn't want to send him back to junior.

 

[Brian39]

I agree, but you really dont know what you have with Dvorsky until you throw him out there for a few games.

You can absolutely evaluate a player in the AHL without throwing him into NHL games. He has played 5 AHL games, which are his first pro games in North America. He was far from NHL ready during his pro games overseas, so we have 5 games worth of data/viewings. That's not remotely close to a sample where you can say that there is nothing more to learn about him before NHL gameplay.

I haven't watched his AHL games, but I'd bet good money that several people in the Blues front office have watched every shift. But I can read a box score and see that he is producing offensively but is tied for worst on the team in +/-. I've read stuff here from posters saying his game isn't close to complete at this point.

I did watch him in the preseason and it was pretty clear to me that he wasn't an NHL player last month. I have a really hard time believing that 5 games in the AHL have meaningfully changed his game to the point where it is anyone's guess how NHL-ready he is.

 

[Celtic Note]

I agree, but you really dont know what you have with Dvorsky until you throw him out there for a few games.

I have no problem with a couple games just for exposure. But if he isn’t ready, I don’t want him up for 6 weeks or something to that affect.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

We are exactly one year away from Dvorsky not being able to stick with his KHL team. Penciling him in as Thomas' injury replacement seems foolhardy.

 

[Michael64]

You can absolutely evaluate a player in the AHL without throwing him into NHL games. He has played 5 AHL games, which are his first pro games in North America. He was far from NHL ready during his pro games overseas, so we have 5 games worth of data/viewings. That's not remotely close to a sample where you can say that there is nothing more to learn about him before NHL gameplay.

I haven't watched his AHL games, but I'd bet good money that several people in the Blues front office have watched every shift. But I can read a box score and see that he is producing offensively but is tied for worst on the team in +/-. I've read stuff here from posters saying his game isn't close to complete at this point.

I did watch him in the preseason and it was pretty clear to me that he wasn't an NHL player last month. I have a really hard time believing that 5 games in the AHL have meaningfully changed his game to the point where it is anyone's guess how NHL-ready he is.

I cannot say strongly enough that his long term development is best served in the AHL for a full season. Particularly after he had to jump around several, teams/leagues leading up to this past yr. and settling in well at the OHL. What is the rush? He is doing well for a 19 yr old adjusting to life here and is a key l-term piece for us.

Who cares what the other draft class are doing so early in their careers. Lets measure over time.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

I wouldn't mind seeing Dvorsky get called up towards the end of the season if he's tearing up the AHL. Would be a nice way to reward the progression. But I'm comfortable with biding time on him

 

[Reality Czech]

Holloway is playing 3C tonight.

Schenn at 1C but we’ll see how that goes…

His line may be listed at the top of the lineup sheet but I doubt they consider it the definitive 1st line. If anything the top two lines are 1a and 1b. I'd record l expect Bannister to rotate all 4 lines for the most part like he did last game. That 4th line of Sunny Faksa Torpo could be pretty painful for our opponents. Keep your head up with those guys out there.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

His line may be listed at the top of the lineup sheet but I doubt they consider it the definitive 1st line. If anything the top two lines are 1a and 1b. I'd record l expect Bannister to rotate all 4 lines for the most part like he did last game. That 4th line of Sunny Faksa Torpo could be pretty painful for our opponents. Keep your head up with those guys out there.

Agreed. They were rolling the lines pretty much against Toronto. The chemistry is more important than the semantics.

 

[TurgPavs]

In his age 19 season, Thomas got 13 minutes a night of highly sheltered minutes. He was 10th or lower on the team in total time on ice and even strength time on ice (total and per game). He also played the lowest quality of competition among all our forwards who played 400+ minutes at 5 on 5 that year.

Additionally, he played significantly more at wing, acting as the team's 6th most frequent center. When they did have him at center, they regularly put another actual center at wing to help cover some of the defensive responsibilities.

So I don't really have to imagine it. The reality is that we very much did not rush Thomas into middle 6 or top 6 center usage in his age 19 season. We bent over backwards to protect him as much as possible since he wasn't AHL eligible and we didn't want to send him back to junior.

If you can shelter a 19 year old Thomas, as you mentioned above, why not do the same with Dvorsky?

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

If you can shelter a 19 year old Thomas, as you mentioned above, why not do the same with Dvorsky?

Because we don’t have an in their prime O’Reilly/Schenn, and Tyler Bozak in our lineup right now down the middle. Dvorsky would HAVE to play center, unlike Thomas.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Because we don’t have an in their prime O’Reilly/Schenn, and Tyler Bozak in our lineup right now down the middle. Dvorsky would HAVE to play center, unlike Thomas.

good point

 

[Brian39]

If you can shelter a 19 year old Thomas, as you mentioned above, why not do the same with Dvorsky?

That is what we are currently doing by keeping him in the AHL.

We do not have the personnel to shelter him the way we sheltered Thomas in the NHL. We had ROR, Schenn (the 27 year old version), and Bozak as our 3 centers in the top 9 that year. ROR was a legit 1C (good enough to win the Selke that year). Schenn had been a capable 1C the year before and then performed as an above average 2C that season. Bozak was a high end 3C. We had 'plus' level players at the center position on each line, which means that we were trying to plug and play wingers to make everything work.

We are miles from that this year. We have a plethora of wingers that we are trying out at center. We very much don't have the centers to shelter Dvorsky the way we sheltered Thomas in 2018/19. Your suggestion to make Dvorsky the 2C seems to recognize the complete lack of centers, but are you really wondering how the current roster is different from the 2018/19 roster?