Blues prospect Zach Dean speaks with the media on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, after the first game of the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase in St. Louis. (Video courtesy St. Louis Blues)
If Zach Dean was a musician, Friday night would have served as his audition to be a percussionist.
During the Blues鈥 4-3 overtime win over the Blackhawks in the first game of the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase, Dean had two assists and hit three posts in a strong initial showing less than a week before St. Louis training camp opens.
Dean, the 21-year-old forward originally acquired in the Ivan Barbashev trade in 2023, was inches away from having a prolific night.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just one of those games, but you know that when the chances are there, they鈥檒l end up going in,鈥 said Springfield coach Steve Konowalchuk, who is coaching the prospects this weekend. 鈥淗e played good. They were generating chances.鈥
In the first period, he hit the nearside post on a shot in tight. In the second period, he assisted on goals by Lukas Fischer and Matthew Mayich, both by digging out pucks on the forecheck. In the third period, Dean hit the post again during a power play and had a rebound go off his skate just wide of the net.
Dean鈥檚 best chance? Well, that came in overtime, when Zack Bolduc found Dean all alone at the net-front for a possible game-winning goal. Instead, Dean once again made the iron sing.
鈥淚 think the worst one was the last one,鈥 Dean said. 鈥淚t was a wide open net.鈥
While Michael Buchinger, Fischer, Mayich and Simon Robertsson (overtime winner 2:19 into overtime) scored goals for the Blues on Friday night, Dean was the only player on the ice with multiple points.
鈥淲hen you get out there for the first game after the offseason, you鈥檙e just trying to keep it simple,鈥 Dean said. 鈥淚t was just fun to just get back out there and play some hockey. Just feeling the puck, making play and competing, it was fun.鈥
Dean centered the top line between Bolduc and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, and the trio consistently created chances. In addition to Dean鈥檚 multitude of opportunities, Kaskimaki and Bolduc nearly teamed up on Grade-A looks.
Bolduc fed Kaskimaki in the middle of the ice for a potential one-timer, but Kaskimaki whiffed. Later in the first period, Kaskimaki passed up a shooting opportunity by shuffling a pass behind Bolduc on a 2 on 1.
鈥淵ou can see they鈥檙e talented players,鈥 Konowalchuk said. 鈥淭he speed, they certainly could have had some more goals. There was quite a bit of 4 on 4, specialty teams where they were able to generate some chances. That line, there鈥檚 some good skill and speed.鈥
Dean is in the mix of nearly 20 forwards that could be on the Blues roster at the start of the season, and he鈥檒l be trying to make the first Opening Night roster of his career after playing nine NHL games in the spring. He profiles long-term as a depth forward with an edge to his game and the ability to chip in offensively, but in the meantime, he can make an impression on Blues brass with details in his game.
Like winning a puck behind the net and finding Fischer for a one-timer in the left circle.
鈥淚t was a little bit scrambly there behind the net and I was able to fish it out there,鈥 Dean said. 鈥淚 saw him, he was about top of the circle so I just threw it out to him and he got the shot off.鈥
Like scooping a puck from a board battle, flipping it to Kaskimaki and then driving to the net-front to provide a screen on Mayich鈥檚 goal.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the difference for guys like Dean that want to establish a solid NHL career,鈥 Konowalchuk said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the details. The skill鈥檚 there. It鈥檚 finishing a check or stopping on a puck or going to the net like that goal.鈥
Dean: 鈥淵ou just try and play your game. Being up here last year, getting some tips from the coaches and stuff like that, the little details like that are really important at the next level. Obviously, this summer and coming into camp, that was something I was thinking about coming into the games.鈥
Dean said he worked on his skating over the summer in an effort to keep up with an ever-accelerating game. But he also saw plenty of another one of his almost-goals from his time with St. Louis.
In the third-to-last game of the regular season, Dean had a golden opportunity for his first NHL goal vs. Carolina, but Frederik Andersen lunged to his left and robbed Dean with a glove save. Dean鈥檚 friends weren鈥檛 going to let him forget about it over the summer in Newfoundland.
鈥淲hen I got home, they were just talking about it and then it got brought up on their phones and then it was a whole thing,鈥 Dean said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always good, it鈥檚 funny.鈥
Dean is one of the Blues鈥 10 players taken in the first round since the 2019 draft, and could become more of a fixture this season in St. Louis.
鈥淚 just have to control what I can control,鈥 Dean said. 鈥淚 know that I鈥檓 a good player and everyone here鈥檚 a good player, so just got to do my thing."
Peterson, listed at 6-foot-4 and 192 pounds, had two assists across the two games vs. Chicago and Minnesota.
St. Louis Blues prospects forward Zach Dean (52) chases the puck during first period action in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks prospects on overtime on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, during the St. Louis Blues 2024 Prospect Showcase at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com