Blues’ internal options available for replacement of Zachary Bolduc – Hockey Writer – St. Louis Blues

St. Louis Blues made headlines on July 1, with first-round pick Zachary Bolduc, who was selected as No. 17 in the 2021 NHL entry draft, traded to the Montreal Canadaens for right-hand beat defensive player Logan Mailloux. The team’s depth of organization on the wings gives them the flexibility to separate from the Bolduc, especially to meet the larger positional needs of the Blue Line. Despite the weight of this reasoning, it also opens the door to an important question: Who fills the place Bolduc on the roster?

Assuming general manager Doug Armstrong avoids another earthquake move to reshape the team’s forward unit, internal competition will be worthy of attention.

The Blues have several viable options to consider – Mathieu Joseph, Oskar Sundqvist, Alexandre Texier and Dalibor Dvorsky will have a chance to take this opportunity. Each player brings a different skill to the table, and with Armstrong’s offseason expressing a desire to return to the playoff competition, the front desk will decide who gives the team the best shot when winning. It’s not a year of development, but about the results, and players entering the Bolduc position must not only fill the gap, but also push the team forward.

The Blue Army Veteran

Sundqvist embodies the meaning of wearing blue paper money in many ways. His loyalty to the organization and connection to the city are well known – Few players embraced St. Louis in his way, and fans have returned to ten times more appreciation. He is a grinder, a team number one player, and a respected voice in the locker room. His body, defensive consciousness and willingness to do dirty work make him the next six valuable options in any lineup.

But it’s a result-oriented business. Despite the vitality of heart and loyalty, the Blues are entering a critical season, with internal competition and performance that must be prioritized. So, does Sundqvist still provide the team with the best chance of winning? While his veterans are undeniable, Bruce must weigh whether his skills and production match the requirements of the team that competes for a playoff spot.

Related: Doug Armstrong’s new vision for the St. Louis Blue Line

Based on last season, the answer is no. As the Blues’ third-line center, Sundqvist didn’t provide enough production to prove locking him into a consistent six-part role. He has been increasingly slimmer from rediscovering his offensive touches five years ago. The unlikely possibility is more like wishful thinking rooted in nostalgia. Although his intuition and hockey IQ remained intact, the game has changed, and his age and accumulated wear and tear began to affect his ability to keep up.

Sundqvist’s speed was once manageable and now lags behind the pace of the game. His defensive readings don’t necessarily worsen, but they left their mark on the dirty areas for several years of physical loss in dirty areas. In today’s NHL, speed and strength usually exceed pure grit and positioning, and that decline becomes the responsibility.

His game is still built on fundamentals: trash and tracking, hard-to-censorship, crashing into the net. However, when filling the gap in Bolduc (offensive, high-ranking role), SundQvist’s skills are basically inconsistent with the needs. He is still a valuable depth, locker room leader and a tough game plugin, but as a full-time solution for Bolduc leaving? Suitable or not.

For fans and players themselves, Sundqvist’s role is decreasing, and with it, his overall impact has also declined. At this stage of his career, any inclusion in the lineup could be the result of a roster shake-up rather than a performance-based decision. If he stays on the team, it would make more sense that he will slide into the center role of the four line, while the chain reaction pushes Pius Suter to the wing and Nick Bjugstad goes into the center role of the third line. This configuration may provide lineup balance, but will not solve the long-term problems left by Bolduc’s departure.

Sundqvist becomes a regular day for the third line and needs rest. While loyalty and leadership are admirable and still limited abilities are valuable, the demand for this character in today’s NHL requires speed, offensive pressure and consistency, all of which can be filled with young, more dynamic choices in the system. This is not a prosecution of the player, nor is it what he means to the Blues. It’s just a reality of an alliance that gets faster and more skilled every year.

Two bluesy cards

After a relatively encouraging performance in the playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets, Joseph became one of the most common internal choices to replace Bolduc. His name continues to surface, mainly because of his complementary skills and its consistency with potential circle-length Jack neighbors and Suth. On paper, it’s a line that brings speed, perseverance and depth of offensiveness, which are all the key elements of a successful mid-six unit.

One of the Blues’ main goals this offseason is to strengthen their central depth, especially to find players who can make more offensive in the midfield. Suter’s addition addresses the need to provide them with a reliable two-way center that drives the game and provides stability. The initial plan was to launch a third line featuring neighbors, Suter and Bolduc, the unit showed a flash of becoming a reliable depth-scoring trio. But with Bolduc now disappearing, the team must identify the right players to drive this momentum, and Joseph may be the best option. His speed, offensive instinct and ability to play at high paces makes him feel natural with his neighbor’s body and Sut’s play. While he may not copy Bolduc’s pure fractional upside, Joseph’s versatility and energy may bring new life and even enhance it.

Joseph brings resilience to speed and premonition, while Texier offers something more primitive – Crime Offensive Talent. He may not be the most responsible player in his area, and sometimes he may be a defensive responsibility, but when the puck is on his stick, few internal candidates will flash with the same creativity, control and dynamic skills. If the Blues hope to replace Bolduc’s offensive ceiling instead of his two-way balance, Texier will be a direct contender for that open position.

What sets Texier apart is his ability to create games in tight spaces, maintain property under pressure and generate offenses from scratch. His vision and hands are excellent and when he gets engaged he can be a nightmare against defenders. He may not covet a third-line role for a defensively stable coach, but if deployed with the right wing (especially a defensive center like Sutt), his weaknesses can be masked by the surrounding structure, allowing him to focus on everything he does: create scoring opportunities. As neighbors increase perseverance and physical condition, there is a strong case that can serve as a high, offensive-driven alternative that makes the Blues hit more from the third line.

The young prospect of blues

Dvorsky, the Blues ranked 10th in the 2023 NHL admission draft, quickly became one of the organization’s most promising young players. After his dominant season with the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) against the Sudbury Wolves, Dvorsky made a smooth transition to Professional Hockey, earning time with the Springfield Thunderbirds and even playing several games with the Blues later last season. Now, after the Bolduc trade, Dvorsky caught the consistent NHL minutes, especially in the third row, with a legitimate opening.

But with every promising opportunity, there are tough questions about development. Although Dvorsky has played a central role throughout his career, the overwhelming consensus seems to tend to get him into the NHL by moving him to the wings. Doing so will relieve the mental and position burden in the middle of the highest level. It will also give him time to adapt to the NHL’s speed and spacing while learning directly from veterans like Brayden Schenn, Robert Thomas, Suter and Bjugstad, four centers with strong standing-up abilities and a comprehensive game. It’s a clever, low-pressure way to make Dvorsky his ultimate role as a two-way center.

That said, there is a very real drawback to this strategy: ice time. If Dvorsky becomes a third-tier winger, his meeting time may fall within the 12-14 minute range, and there may be more opportunities to play. You also have the old developmental question compared to what he might have seen in the American Hockey League (AHL) for over 20 minutes a night: What is more valuable – few minutes less at the highest level, or playing in the lower league for a long time? It’s a delicate balance for players with ceilings. You want him to be challenged, but don’t bury it. You want him to contribute, but don’t stop.

Still, the NHL experience – especially with the right captives and coach support – is a catalyst for his game. Given the Blues’ lineup makeup, DeWorsky may represent the highest choice for stepping into Bolduc’s previous role. Whether this is best suited to his long-term trajectory depends entirely on usage, character clarity, and the organization’s willingness to grow through mistakes.

The best choice for blues

The “best” option is always the choice that the team values ​​most, i.e. development, experience, chemistry or direct results. But in this case, the goal is clear: win the hockey game. When balancing short-term demand with long-term potential, Dvorsky became the most logical and influential option to replace Bolduc in the third row. His ceiling is higher than any other internal candidate, and his learning and adaptability will only be achieved through consistent NHL exposure, rather than dominating the level he has grown up.

Yes, there will be pain in growth. The learning curve is inevitable. But development did not happen in a vacuum, but instead allowed DeWorsky’s risk at Springfield to reduce his progress rather than foster his progress. In the AHL, he may be the focus, but he will not face the type of opposition, pace or structure he will be in the NHL. More importantly, he won’t be surrounded by senior leaders like Schenn, Bjugstad, and Thomas, who can help shape his professional habits on and on the ice. In a highly competitive lineup, the opportunity for real-time learning is unreplicable in the lower leagues.

The reality is that the Blues are no longer in the reconstruction phase, but are rebuilding instantly. They pushed the jets into last season’s Nails Game 7 and showed their young core was ready to play. With that in mind, the relaxing player window is closing. As the team improves, minutes won’t be easier to find. So if you’re going to work on Dvorsky, now is the time – though there’s plenty of room to breathe him up, make mistakes and find his game at the NHL level.

Given the timing, timing and current roster makeup, DeWosky is the best choice to take over the Bolduc role. It’s a move that benefits players, teams and futures. The Blues have made it clear that they want to win – it’s time to make one of their most promising young stars a part of the journey.