On the list of Blues forwards prospects, Dylan Peterson can sometimes be forgotten.
He was drafted back in 2020 (the same draft as NHLers Jake Neighbours and Matthew Kessel) and went to Boston University for four years. The third-rounder doesn鈥檛 have the first-round pedigree or excitement that Dalibor Dvorsky or Jimmy Snuggerud or Zack Bolduc bring. He didn鈥檛 play in the World Juniors at all. He hasn鈥檛 been to Blues training camp before.
But during the two-game Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase over the weekend, Peterson made sure to remind onlookers about what he does bring to the table: size and speed.
鈥淗e certainly has a big body that can skate,鈥 said Steve Konowalchuk, the Springfield (Massachusetts) Thunderbirds coach who led the prospects over the weekend. 鈥淭o me, it鈥檚 a good prospect there that can be a winger, that can go up and down, that can crash and bang, go to the net, dig the puck out for some skill guys, penalty kill. There鈥檚 definitely some potential there with him as well.鈥
People are also reading…
Peterson, listed at 6-foot-4 and 192 pounds, had two assists across the two games against Chicago and Minnesota. On Friday night against the Blackhawks, Peterson led a three-on-two attack and dropped a pass for a trailing Michael Buchinger before driving the net. On Sunday, Peterson had a secondary assist before Will McIsaac鈥檚 long stretch pass sent Tanner Dickinson in for a breakaway goal.
Konowalchuk also used Peterson as part of the first penalty-kill unit, while he played right wing at even strength with Dickinson at center and Tomas Mrsic (on Friday) and Sam Bitten (on Sunday) at left wing.
鈥淚 like his speed,鈥 Konowalchuk said. 鈥淚 like the way he went to the net. He was a big part of one of the goals driving the net on the rush. He had a couple hits. He鈥檚 got size, and he鈥檚 got speed. Those are the strengths that, in my opinion, make him a good prospect.鈥
Unlike Dvorsky or Snuggerud or Bolduc, offensive production isn鈥檛 going to be Peterson鈥檚 calling card as he makes the jump from college hockey to professional hockey. At BU, he had 60 points in 119 games. But Peterson is willing to use his big frame to rattle around in the corners and at the net front and uses his speed to drive toward the net in transition.
Peterson played three AHL games at the tail end of last season and is likely headed back to Springfield again this fall.
鈥淔rom our talks at the end of my senior year last year and getting me down to Springfield and getting some games in, the plan was just to get me into the mix as soon as possible and see what I can do and how I stack up,鈥 Peterson said. 鈥淚 think that was a great plan, and it worked out nicely. I got a little bit of experience.
鈥淏ig picture, it鈥檚 a long process. Everyone wants to be in the NHL, but you鈥檝e got to take steps and do certain things to show that you belong here. I think I鈥檓 trying to take those steps for now.鈥
- In a similar way, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki jumped out to Konowalchuk over the weekend with his dogged puck pursuit. Kaskimaki played on the Blues鈥 top line with Bolduc and Zach Dean as the line combined for one goal and four assists on the weekend.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a good, sneaky good hockey player,鈥 Konowalchuk said. 鈥淗e fits in well with them just because he鈥檚 around the net, good body positioning, digs the puck out and has the hands to make plays with them. He does some sneaky good things out there.鈥
Kaskimaki also played at the net front on the top power play unit.
- Bolduc scored the prettiest goal of the Blues鈥 two games when he darted through the middle of the ice in the second period and then slid a backhand between Minnesota goaltender Chase Wutzke鈥檚 legs.
Konowalchuk was asked after Sunday鈥檚 game if Bolduc鈥檚 performance looked NHL-caliber.
鈥淎t this point, I coach these guys,鈥 Konowalchuk said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e got the NHL coaches and the staff watching. They鈥檙e piecing that together. I just know that he played well here and then he鈥檒l go to the next camp. There鈥檚 a lot of hockey, but he certainly played well here.鈥
Blues coach Drew Bannister, who was watching the games from the stands, said the top line jumped out to him.
鈥淚鈥檝e been really impressed with that line of Dean and Bolduc and Kaskimaki, who鈥檚 just hard on the puck,鈥 Bannister said during an intermission report on the game鈥檚 stream. 鈥淚 thought they鈥檝e skated really well. They seem to find some chemistry.鈥
- All three of Dvorsky鈥檚 assists on Sunday came in the third period as the Blues scored four goals, but the most skilled came shorthanded on the rush, as he hooked a pass to Marc-Andre Gaudet for a backhand finish. Dvorsky also picked up primary assists on both of Juraj Pekarcik鈥檚 goals Sunday.
Sunday鈥檚 performance helped Dvorsky head into training camp on a high note. After Friday鈥檚 game, Konowalchuk said 鈥渉e was fine.鈥
鈥淚 think some nerves early on and he was fine,鈥 Konowalchuk said Friday. 鈥淚 certainly didn鈥檛 dislike him. I don鈥檛 know that he was at the level, nor should he be necessarily in the first game, as a Bolduc or Dean, who鈥檚 played in the NHL already. Dvorsky, I think, is putting a lot of pressure on himself to want to come out here, and it鈥檚 all part of a learning process. Certainly, I wasn鈥檛 disappointed with his game.鈥