St. Louis Blues Explore Milan Lucic’s Potential
The St. Louis Blues are actively exploring the potential of veteran forward Milan Lucic as he embarks on a professional tryout (PTO) with their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. This move comes after Lucic, 37, originally joined the Blues for training camp but faced a setback due to a groin injury that sidelined him for about a week.
Performance and Recovery
Upon returning, he participated in the last three preseason games, contributing one goal and an assist to his efforts. While the Blues were contemplating whether to officially sign him to a contract after observing his performance, they opted to keep him in the organization, prioritizing his recovery and conditioning to evaluate his fit within the team.
Future Considerations
The towering forward, standing at 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 240 pounds, is expected to report to Springfield immediately as part of this plan. Should Lucic eventually secure a contract with St. Louis, the team will need to make an adjustment to their roster, likely involving placing another forward on waivers.
Roster Implications
Notably, the chances of them reallocating Dalibor Dvorsky—who notably scored his first NHL goal during a recent win over the Edmonton Oilers back on Monday—appear slim. Dvorsky, a first-round draft choice from 2023, has been impressive since being called up from Springfield the prior week.
Injury Management
The Blues are also managing injuries within their lineup, as Jake Neighbours remains on injured reserve with a right leg injury and is not anticipated to return before late November.
