The fifth annual Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase kicked off on Sept. 12, and the St. Louis Blues had a chance to showcase their prospects and put them on the ice together to see how they performed in this two-game showcase.
The Blues won the first game 6-4 against the Minnesota Wild but lost the second game on Sept. 13, 3-2 in overtime, to the Chicago Blackhawks. Let’s review some key events from this two-game showcase.
2023 Draft Prospects Showing Comfortable Progression
In June, the Blues announced that Theo Lindstein would play in North America, most likely in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Springfield Thunderbirds. However, there is no confirmation yet on where exactly he will be after this showcase. This prospect showcase is the first time we’ve seen Lindstein in a Blues jersey. Although he didn’t get any points, seeing him with the entire first-round class of the 2023 NHL Draft was something Blues fans were waiting for.
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Alongside Lindstein were Otto Stenberg and Dalibor Dvorsky, who scored goals at the tournament. Last season, Stenberg and Dvorsky both received call-ups to the AHL to play with the Thunderbirds, and out of the two, Dvorsky stood out, becoming an AHL All-Star and receiving a brief call-up to make his debut with the Blues.
On the other hand, Stenberg was great in this tournament, showing great speed and skating in the offensive zone. The experience he’s gained playing professional North American hockey has finally molded him into a great asset for the Blues in the future. Hopefully, this showcase gives him a chance to reach top consideration for an NHL call-up later in the 2025-26 season.
Other Blues Top Prospects Who Thrived
Justin Carbonneau played a great game against the Wild in the opening matchup of the showcase, scoring a game-winning goal that would solidify the Blues’ lead late in the game. He was all over the offensive zone, keeping the puck moving and finding key shots for great opportunities, including a nice feed to Dvorsky for the opening goal of the game.
Considering it was a showcase, there wasn’t much physicality in the game, but I would have loved to see the more physical side of Carbonneau.
Another standout prospect was defenseman Adam Jiricek, brother of Wild defenseman David Jiricek. Jiricek scored against the Wild on a wicked slap shot. Like Colton Parayko, he used his shot to be offensively aggressive from the blue line. He was also very in tune with staying in the offensive zone and was tracking with almost every play the Wild and Blackhawks made throughout this showcase.
Adam Jecho was undoubtedly under the radar among the Blues’ top prospects. He was locked in on every play in that showcase, setting up in front of the net, and even scored a goal in the opening game. Jecho was one of the top forwards on the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL) last season, and he clearly carried his outstanding offensive performance into that game.
Prospects That Will Shine Outside of the Showcase
Training camp is now scheduled to begin on Sept. 18. It will be more challenging as there will be 58 players competing for a current or future spot on the Blues roster. Many of them have also played in this prospect showcase, and they should take this as a second chance to make a good impression ahead of the 2025-26 season. Some prospects that will be attending Blues training camp that should be on the watch list to have a strong showing are Stenberg, Lindstein, Jecho, and Dvorsky.
