Every situation is unique. These two weren't the worst skaters in the NHL. It's just that they couldn't find a role in the NHL that would have allowed them to stick around for longer. As a team you can always make up for somebody's flaws if he provides enough value for you in other areas. Whether it makes sense to do it is depending on the team's roster and strategy.
They don't need to buyout his contract since he is signed to an ELC with STL. They can put him in the AHL (or ECHL) at any point, Toronto brought Nylander over from Sweden halfway through the 2014-15 season.
I'm hoping if this continues. The Blues pull him over and fully take over his development as long as Dvorsky is ok with it.
Another good example is Martin Frk. Repeatedly scratched in Bern with coach Tapola publicly criticizing his skating. Colton Sceviour is in Tapola's doghouse for the exact same reason. These guys weren't horrible skaters in the NHL let alone the AHL but they're deemed not good enough by a European coach. So while it all depends on what the coaches want and the system they're running, you're certainly not well positioned as a poor skater on wider European ice. Swedish hockey isn't necessarily fast paced but Dvorsky would find it much easier to adjust to pro hockey if his skating was better.
Wow, major news. What a tough start to his career. Hopefully this is the start of some positive momentum.Dalibor Dvorský återvänder till St. Louis Blues
IK Oskarshamn, St. Louis Blues och Dalibor Dvorský är överens om att bryta gällande kontrakt. Detta innebär att Dvorský lämnar IK Oskarshamn och reser till Nordamerika.www.ikoskarshamn.se
Oskarshamn, Blues, & Dalibor are breaking the contract.
He is eligible but if he was having trouble in staying on a weak roster in Sweden then the AHL as an 18-year-old might not be a good idea. Of course Blues would be able to exert more control over his development in the AHL by ensuring he's not the 12-13th forward in Springfield, so maybe they do go that route.
Way better players than Dvorsky have benefited from d+1 time in the CHL
Agreed. Some will view this as a step down but it’s the best option given the circumstances IMO. And while he dominated Swedish Jrs last season in limited action (21 pts in 10 games), the OHL is a bit of a step up and it’ll be good for him to get on N.A. ice and get used to the smaller surface with less time and space to operate.
Dvorsky is one of those cases who dominate fellow kids just because they're physically imposing. Also, fellow kids can't really expose his poor play against the puck and his poor skating the way pros can. The problem with him playing vs kids is that he already mastered it years ago and can dominate at will as the player he is right now. Though his game isn't good enough to keep up with pros, he doesn't have to change his game to dominate kids. This is a major problem. CHL leagues are great even for very strong players but I'm afraid Dvorsky isn't one of them. Each league, each tournament he played vs kids in he dominated. For years. Despite all of this he keeps on struggling vs men, still hasn't figured it out. That's what his focus should be right now. On changing his game, finally adjusting to pro hockey. He knows it and still went back to juniors. Mindboggling.
