Blues' Dalibor Dvorsky Is Footspeed Away From Becoming A High-End Two-Way Center

Dalibor Dvorsky is set to enter year two in the NHL from the get-go, and after a decent showing in his rookie season, expectations are growing.

Dvorsky has excelled at every level leading up to the NHL. He was dynamite at every junior level while playing for Slovakia and even captained their world junior team. In Sweden, he played in the HockeyAllsvenskan in his draft year and posted a respectable six goals and 14 points in 38 games.

The following season, he moved to the OHL and posted 45 goals and 88 points in 52 games. His final stop before becoming an NHLer was in the AHL, where he scored 21 goals and 45 points in a strong rookie season.

Wherever he’s played, he’s put up strong results, offensively and defensively. But in those previous situations, few players, if any, rivaled his skill set. The NHL is a different beast, and for a player to be as effective as possible, they can’t have holes in their game.

Dvorsky possesses a lethal shot, both with power and accuracy. He has the puck-handling skills to be a threat in transition and on the cycle, and has the size and instincts to be a shutdown center. But if there was one area Dvorsky needed to improve, it’s his speed.

Dvorsky isn’t a poor skater. He uses his edge work effectively and has no issues pivoting, but his footspeed is lackluster, to say the least.

In his rookie season, NHL EDGE recorded Dvorsky’s maximum skating speed as 21.58 miles per hour. That was below the 50th percentile, and it was Dvorsky’s only skating burst above 21 miles per hour.

Blues’ Dalibor Dvorsky Continues To Put His Name On The Map; Scores Another Big Goal For Slovakia

Blues’ Dalibor Dvorsky Continues To Put His Name On The Map; Scores Another Big Goal For SlovakiaSt. Louis Blues rookie Dalibor Dvorsky is shining on the biggest stage and is putting his name on the map.

Additionally, the 21-year-old posted just 15 skating bursts between 20 and 22 miles per hour, below the 50th percentile, and also ranked below the 50th percentile in skating bursts between 18 and 20 miles per hour.

Being a speedster isn’t the only way to be effective in the NHL, but it’s hard to be effective and reach your potential when you are below average at best. Given that Dvorsky is defensively responsible and finds himself low in the defensive end, he needs the speed to work his way back into the play.

If Dvorsky can be a league-average or above-average skater, Dvorsky’s 5-on-5 play will drastically improve. In his rookie campaign, Dvorsky demonstrated that he will be a consistent power-play threat, scoring five of his 12 goals on the man advantage. But with the off-season additions, Dvorsky won’t find himself on the top unit just yet, so those power-play opportunities will diminish.

He needs to produce at 5-on-5 to stay in the NHL, and speed improvements will help him do so. He has plenty of admirable NHL tools, but improved footspeed will take his game to the next level.

Whether he incorporates more crossovers to generate power like Chicago Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard has, or trains to be quicker in a straight line, he’s a step away from breaking out.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.

See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Read the full article here