Jake Neighbours’ Injury Is Firing up the Blues

The St. Louis Blues were in a desperate situation after their top scorer, Jake Neighbours, suffered a leg injury on Oct. 28 against the Detroit Red Wings. He’s missed five games since then due to his injury. They then went through a seven-game losing streak, which they finally snapped on Nov. 3 against the Edmonton Oilers. The team has rallied back and found a way out of the losing streak.

Dvorsky Finds Life in His Game

In response to Neighbours’ injury, the Blues called up rookie Dalibor Dvorsky. He had only played two games in the NHL during the last two months of the 2024-25 season, recording no points. Before the 2025-26 season, Dvorsky got another shot at NHL redemption, playing four preseason games in which he accumulated four points. He didn’t make the opening night roster after that, but the Blues kept tabs on him.

This time, however, Dvorsky looked more energetic. He was playing well with the Blues’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, Springfield Thunderbirds, with five points in six games before joining the big club and scored his first NHL goal against the Oilers on Nov. 3. His power-play marker sparked the Blues’ comeback, and they rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2.

Dvorsky’s preseason spark was not extinguished, and this season, he’s showing that he wants to be the next prospect to make it to the NHL. Though he’s only played two games so far this season since being called up, Dvorsky is taking advantage of every minute he has on the ice, knowing that Neighbours won’t be injured for long and, at some point, his time in the NHL will be cut short.

Almost Losing Robert Thomas to Injury

Robert Thomas missed four games with an upper-body injury and was listed day-to-day on Oct. 25. This was another blow after losing Neighbours, but it forced other players to step up, like Pius Suter, who recorded three points in the four games Thomas missed. The Blues were also 0-3-1 without Thomas in the lineup.

In his return to the lineup against the Oilers, Thomas notched two points, including the game-tying goal to make it 2-2 in the second period. With Thomas back in the lineup, the Blues should start winning again. However, he will need to carry a bigger load while Neighbours is out.

Blues Playing For Each Other

Neighbours’ injury has motivated the Blues to find contributions from throughout the lineup. Their 3-2 comeback victory over the Oilers showed that. Also, in the last five games without Neighbours, they’ve ranked 11th in shots against per game (26.2), second in the league in hits (109), and second in blocks (81). Offensively, they’re in the top 20 in goals for (11) and the top six in takeaways (23).

Overall, we saw a similar trend last season. The Blues lost three key players in 2024-25: Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, Dylan Holloway, and Philip Broberg in late October and early November. Shortly after, they went on a 12-game win streak.

Losing Neighbours has opened up new opportunities for other players. Dvorsky, one of the team’s top prospects, earned another chance and scored his first NHL goal, and Thomas should thrive with the added responsibility.