The St. Louis Blues‘ prospect pool is growing. As the retooling NHL club continues to grind through the 2023-24 season, their prospects continue to develop. Here’s a look at the organization’s prospects who play for the Springfield Thunderbirds in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Hugh McGing
One of the highest-scoring players for the Thunderbirds in November, Hugh McGing produced four goals and 13 points in 11 games. The 5-foot-8 undersized forward now has 15 points through 21 games this season. His performance over the past month likely contributed to an early Saturday morning (Dec. 9) call-up by the Blues ahead of their game against the Chicago Blackhawks. It is not clear what McGing’s role in the NHL will be, but he saw early deployment on the club’s third line against the Blackhawks while finishing on the fourth line with Brandon Saad and Jakub Vrana.
Zachary Bolduc
Among the top forward prospects in the Blues organization, Zachary Bolduc is starting to find his offensive game. Scoring two goals and seven points through 11 games in November, he has worked his way to four goals and 10 points through his first 21 games of the season.
After starting on the third line alongside fellow prospect, Zach Dean, he has seen consistent deployment on the second line and has rewarded the team. Heading into the Dec. 9 game against the Bridgeport Islanders, Bolduc had produced two goals and five points in five games.
Mikhail Abramov
Forward Mikhail Abramov returned to action after suffering an upper-body injury. He was held to only seven games in November but made his return noticeable with one goal and four points over two games. Acquired in the trade that sent former captain Ryan O’Reilly to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Abramov had three goals and nine points to wrap up November.
Will Bitten
Playing on Bolduc’s opposite wing, Will Bitten has manned the second-line right-wing position for most of the season. Through November, Bitten appeared in all 11 games, scoring four goals and six points. It is unlikely that he earns time in the NHL and should continue to see regular time in the AHL throughout his career.
Matthew Kessel
Ranked fifth in scoring among all Thunderbirds defensemen, Matthew Kessel has consistently held the role as the club’s top-pairing right d-man this season. Over the past month, he has produced one goal and three points, with two goals and six points on the season. Though there may not be much flash and flair to his game, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound blueliner could begin to push for a spot in the NHL next season.
Zach Dean
After missing three games due to a lower-body injury, Dean returned to the lineup in his familiar spot on the third line. Of the injury, Thunderbirds head coach Drew Bannister said in a recent interview that it was one that “flared up” stemming back to his junior hockey days:
“We were being overcautious with him, to be honest …,” Bannister said. “He probably could have played on the previous weekend, but we just felt with the injury, it had been something that was hampering him in junior, we just wanted to take caution with it” (from ‘First-rounders Zack Bolduc, Zach Dean off to slow starts with AHL affiliate Springfield,’ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Nov. 22, 2023).
In his final game of November, Dean scored his first goal in the AHL in a 7-0 victory over the Utica Comets. Through eight games, he scored one goal and two points. It is important to note that while Dean concluded his junior hockey career with 26 points in 13 games, Bannister believes that he would be better served as a bottom-six, penalty-killing forward in the NHL. As such, his opportunities have been limited to a third-line role with zero power-play time. While Dean still has plenty of time to grow and develop into a dual-threat, two-way forward, he has work to do on the defensive side of his game first.
“A little bit of the defensive struggles part, or managing the puck,” Bannister said. “That was one reason we moved him to the wing, just to give him a little bit of breather because there is a lot of responsibility in our system for the centerman in his own zone. Coming off the injury, the last two games that he’s played for us have seen some growth in that game…As long as he’s taking steps forward like he has in the last two games coming off this injury, it’s been a positive for him.
“…I don’t see him being a power play guy at the NHL level,” Bannister said. “I think he’s going to be a secondary guy that’s going to chip in and be somebody that kills penalties. He kills penalties for us. We try and project here what they’re going to be at the NHL level and get them into that role and stick with that.”
Vadim Zherenko
Stepping into his second full season with the Thunderbirds, Vadim Zherenko has done well in the role of Springfield’s 1A goaltender. With a 6-3 record to conclude November, he ranks among the AHL’s top 10 in wins and save percentage. He and Malcolm Subban will likely continue to split starting duties for the foreseeable future, making Zherenko a goaltending prospect to keep an eye on. As former teammates with Joel Hofer in the AHL, the duo could see themselves reunited in the NHL in the coming seasons.
The Blues still have work to do in developing their prospects and gathering talent to fill out different roles in their club for the future. The Thunderbirds are doing their job to develop these prospects well enough to one day plug them into the Blues’ roster. While the NHL team may be struggling to find an identity and secure victories this season, it’s reassuring to know that hope is on the way.