Coach Jim Montgomery could be welcoming in his assistant coaching hire of the off-season, as Vinny Prospal has recently been linked to the St. Louis Blues.
On Elliotte Friedman’s podcast, 32 Thoughts, the Sportsnet insider linked the Blues and Prospal to one another.
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“Vinny Prospal, really good NHL player,” Friedman said. “There’s talk out there he could be joining Jim Montgomery on the bench in St. Louis. They have some openings, and I think he’s a contender for one of those jobs.”
Since retiring in 2013, Prospal has worked several jobs in the NHL, most recently serving as an assistant coach with the Rochester Amerks, the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate. With the Amerks, Prospal was in charge of the power play and has found plenty of success with it. In 2025-26, the Amerks ranked third in the AHL on power play.
Prior to working as an assistant coach in the AHL, Prospal was the head coach of HC Motor České Budějovice in Czechia. Prospal helped the franchise achieve promotion to the top professional league after just his second season with the club.
Dating back even further, Prospal worked as an assistant coach for Czechia at several international events, including the 2018 Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He also worked as a pro scout for the New York Rangers during the 2013-14 season.
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Prospal was a very successful NHL player, as Friedman noted. In 1108 games, the left winger produced 255 goals and 765 points. He bounced around several teams, playing stints with the Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Anaheim Ducks, Rangers, and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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The Blues’ power play ranked 26th in the NHL and has been a non-factor for several seasons now. With skilled players like Robert Thomas, Dylan Holloway, Jimmy Snuggerud, Jordan Kyrou, Dalibor Dvorsky, and several others, there is no reason for the power play to struggle as much as it has.
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Bringing Prospal on board would help the Blues address a vital issue and, hopefully, improve their offense. With the Amerks, Prospal worked with several young players who have recently graduated to the NHL and played critical roles with the Sabres in the regular season and playoffs.
The Blues want to be younger and sharper across their players, management, and coaching staff. Hiring the 51-year-old Prospal would do so.
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