MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — Judging by Zach Dean‘s performance in the opening game of the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase on Friday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, the 30th pick in the 2021 NHL Draft had one clear message to St. Louis Blues brass:
‘Don’t forget about me.’
The 21-year-old put his stamp on all three zones and was a huge factor in the Blues’ come-from-behind 4-3 overtime win against the Blackhawks at Centene Community Ice Center with not just a pair of assists (on goals by defenseman Lukas Fischer and Matthew Mayich) but he was also snake-bitten in a sense with three shots off the post and one puck off his skate that slid just inches wide of the net.
But Dean’s ability to put himself in situations where he could make a difference in the small areas, executing the small details, even though it was against his peers, was something quite noticeable on Friday.
“That’s the difference, right, for guys like for Dean that want to establish into an NHL career. It’s the details,” Springfield coach and Blues prospect coach Steve Konowalchuk said. “The skill’s there. It’s finishing a check or stopping on a puck or going to the net like that on the goal. It’s those little details like that. Then you have your skill level that really helps you get to the NHL and stay in the NHL. The coaches trust you there, you’re playing a 200-foot game’s when they’re talking about that. The light bulb’s starting to go off and that’s good.”
Dean, acquired by the Blues from the Vegas Golden Knights Feb. 27, 2023 for Ivan Barbashev, got into town roughly two weeks ago in preparation to throw his name into a hat of crowded forwards.
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The Blues brought in a number of veterans (Radek Faksa, Mathieu Joseph, Alexandre Texier) to battle for jobs with fellow veterans, leaving the likes of Dean, Zack Bolduc and even Dalibor Dvorsky with a competitive fight.
A fight Dean is willing to battle in.
“I just have to come in here, do what I can, show them I deserve to be here,” Dean said. “I just have to control what I can control. I know that I’m a good player, and everyone here’s a good player. Just got to do my thing.
“I think for me, just my skating. Now as the game evolves, every year I think it’s just going to keep getting faster and faster, so I think just staying on top of that. Obviously getting bigger and stronger (because) you’re playing with men.”
Dean played with and against men last season when he got a taste of the NHL, for nine games. He didn’t register a point but came very close to his first NHL goal against the Carolina Hurricanes on April 12.
This after he finally started to figure things out playing with the Thunderbirds with a stretch of nine points (six goals, three assists) in 11 games before being called up to the big show after a slow start with Springfield.
“Obviously last year, it was a learning year,” Dean said. “I think it was a good year when I kind of started to figure it out towards the end. I was happy with last year. I think it was a good learning experience. Coming into this year, I just have to do my thing and play my game.
“Playing last year in the ‘A,’ at the beginning, you’re learning just how the game is there and then finally coming up here seeing the differences, when you think about it, you’re thinking about in between, like, ‘What’s the difference between the ‘A’ and here and how do I kind of bring it together?’ That’s kind of what I thought about this summer. I think I’m prepared and I’m just going to try and do my best and have a good camp.
“Everything was a learning experience in those (NHL) games. It was super fun to get up and play those games.”
Dean, wearing an ‘A’ at the prospect showcase, led by example. Playing on a line with Bolduc and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, Dean was winning draws, he was battling in corners, digging out pucks, turning the opposition over with his tenacity and fighting for ice at the net front.
“When you get out there for the first game after the offseason, you’re just trying to keep it simple,” Dean said. “It was just fun to get back out there and play some hockey. Just feeling the puck, making plays and competing. It was fun.
“I think as the game went on, we kind of read off each other a little bit more and we were able to make plays. We probably could have some more pucks to the net at times, but towards the end, we started to do that and that’s when we kind of had some success there.”
Dean will be back in the lineup on Sunday at 3 p.m. against the Minnesota Wild Prospects, hoping to pot a few of those that clanked the iron.
“It’s just one of those games, right,” Konowalchuk said. “When the chances are there, they’ll wind up going in. But he played good.”
Related: Takeaways from St. Louis Blues prospects’ 4-3 overtime win against Chicago Blackhawks
