The good news for the St. Louis Blues is the preseason is over.
The bad news for those that were throwing their name into the hat for one last-ditched effort to try and perhaps win a job really never came to fruition after a 6-2 loss against the Chicago Blackhawks at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Saturday to end the Blues’ preseason at 2-5-0.
The Blues iced a mainly American Hockey League squad, aside from a few mainstays that will make this roster, and Chicago didn’t bring all their top-heavy skaters but did feature Connor Bedard.
Without dissecting the game itself, let’s run through the takeaways from the skaters that are on the fringe that really needed a good showing to make the roster along with those that wouldn’t make the team out of camp but wanted to make a good impression before returning back to Springfield:
* Dalibor Dvorsky — The No. 10 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft scored his first NHL goal of any kind, and it culminated with going to the net and using the soft hands to lift a backhand by Arvid Soderblom at 7:30 of the second period to make it a 3-1 game.
We all know Dvorsky will start the season with the Thunderbirds and will be playing in plenty of important roles and important minutes. It was good for the 19-year-old to finally get on the scoresheet with the Bluenote, but it’s obvious his next step will be — and should be — in the American Hockey League.
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* Zack Bolduc — I was in the camp of Bolduc would not only make the Blues out of camp but he would start it in the top six.
Don’t think that will happen.
Aside from a few dust-ups with Bedard in this game, there just wasn’t much of an impact in a game where Bolduc’s offense should have been noticeable, and playing on a line with Dvorsky, I was expecting to see some fireworks from it that never materialized.
Depending on how the Blues decide to do this for their 23-man roster (14F/7D/2G or 13F/8D/2G) will decide Bolduc’s season-opening fate.
My gut tells me he will begin the season in Springfield and be one of the first, if not the first, call-ups.
Bolduc started camp well, really well, but surprisingly leveled off here at the end, which is disappointing.
* Zach Dean — Dean is what he is, a strong, hard-to-play-against center when at his best, he’s going to be that hard worker with the occasional chip-in of points.
His game wasn’t poor by any means tonight, but it wasn’t enough, like his camp, to warrant a roster spot at the NHL level.
He will begin the season in Springfield too but should get serious consideration as a call-up when/if one is needed.
* P.O. Joseph — Nothing stood out tonight, but I think he locked up the seventh d-spot on this roster. I don’t want to say by default because nobody else passed him by but he did enough to warrant being the seventh D and someone coach Drew Bannister can flip in the lineup should Matthew Kessel struggle or need a break.
Joseph showed enough of an ability move the puck and play a physical style when needed, and it would be surprising to see him on waivers.
* Scott Perunovich — Yes, he scored his first pro goal at this level, a power-play goal in the third period when the game was out of hand on a slapper from straight away at 4:32.
And those that have watched him finally asked, “Where has that been?”
He can help a power play, sure, but is it enough to warrant a roster spot when the defensive vulnerabilities are evident?
Again, this will all depend on if the Blues decide to keep eight defensemen or seven.
If it’s eight, I think he makes it as the eighth. If it’s seven, he’ll be on waivers.
* Tyler Tucker — It’s time to move on.
Tucker has been given ample opportunity, ample playing time to try and grab a position when one has been begging for him to do so and he simply just hasn’t done it.
At 6-foot-1, 204 pounds, the Blues needed him to play physical, which he has but only in spurts. But when that’s not on the table, there simply have been too many bad decisions in his game to warrant a roster spot.
Tucker got beat on a semi-pinch, then a puck got pushed past him on the left point that turned into a Frank Nazar breakaway goal at 10:03 of the second period, then he took a cross checking minor at 16:33 of the second than led to a Colton Dach power-play goal.
Tucker, in my opinion, has slipped to ninth on the depth chart, and with guys like Michael Buchinger and Theo Lindstein looming in the weeds of the organizational depth chart in the not-too-distant future, it may be time to cut the cord.
My guess is he will be on waivers and if not claimed, in Springfield by next week playing out this season, then become a Group 6 unrestricted free agent next summer.
* Vadim Zherenko — Zherenko wasn’t going to make this team; we all knew that. But after watching how this camp played out, forget about trying to make an impression with the Blues, Zherenko needs to impress the Thunderbirds coaching staff and keep a close eye over his shoulder of a surging Colten Ellis.
Zherenko was not good on Saturday, allowing six goals on 22 shots, and for the second time this preseason, had a goals-against of .700-plus in a game.
Meanwhile, Ellis was razor-sharp throughout training camp and when he played, he was stellar.
The 2019 third-round pick is coming, and he’s coming fast and furious. Keep an eye on this 24-year-old one day being here when/if Jordan Binnington decides to move on to team up with Joel Hofer. Wouldn’t surprise me in the least.
* Bottom line — I think the lineup Blues fans saw on Thursday will be the lineup that faces the Kraken on Tuesday. When Brandon Saad (birth of child) and Oskar Sundqvist (ACL) return, it will shake things up, but I just didn’t see anyone stand out out of this group that will steal a job from anyone.
Kasperi Kapanen in my opinion took Bolduc’s spot and likely is holding down Saad’s spot until he returns. Other than that, things played out pretty cut and dry.
