(4-17-24) Blues-Stars Gameday Lineup

ST. LOUIS -- Zach Dean will play in his ninth and final NHL game this season for the St. Louis Blues, who close out the regular-season today against the Dallas Stars, then have plenty of time to reflect.

It's been a small sample size for the 30th pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, acquired Feb. 27, 2023 from the Vegas Golden Knights for Ivan Barbashev, but even in the short stint of the 2023-24 season, Blues coaches have identified a specific path for the center to carve out if he is to have a successful career.

"I think if Zach Dean's going to have success at the NHL level, he has to be a harder player to play against and more often, not just one out of every (few) games," Blues interim coach Drew Bannister said. "It's got to be consistently. I think for him, he has to have more jam to his game. He has to have more physicality to his game, to get inside on guys and I think once he learns that aspect of his game, that will keep him in the NHL for a long time.... I've been impressed with the way he's played and the way he's handled himself (so far).

"I don't know Zach well enough to know that he was a skilled player in junior. He's a new player to the organization, let's be honest. We've only had eyes on him here as a coaching staff for under a year. The background obviously being a World Junior hockey player would kind of say that you're a skilled (player), but I think when people watched him at the World Juniors, he was a pest, he played hard, he got under other teams' skin and I think for us, that's what we're looking more out of him from."

Dean doesn't have a point in the NHL through eight games yet, but he's come close. Ask Frederik Andersen, who denied Dean of a sure goal, which would have been his first in the NHL, and that can be a hard thing to accept for someone who averaged more than a point per game in his junior career, specifically this one with the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

But Dean, 21, understands there's more to the NHL than just piling up points in pond hockey style, which is why his success included playing with that "jam."

"I think the way coming up through, I played with a little bit of an edge," Dean said. "So yeah, obviously as you get a little more comfortable, that's just going to come. Getting in playing eight games so far now, you're still trying to find that groove, even getting a little more comfortable every game and playing that way. I think it's good. Now that I've got some experience and stuff like that this year, you'll just feel a bit more comfortable moving forward."

To an extent, Dean is still learning his way around the NHL game, and that will extend beyond this stint, and although the speed of the game is what he said he's noticed more than anything, when the familiarity factor becomes common, the game begins to slow down.

"You try and feel it out the best you can," Dean said. "When you're coming in and you try to play that way, it's the NHL, there's a lot going on. You're thinking among other things. I still think I've been working hard, competing and stuff like that. That's my game. In that sense, just up another level and if I keep moving forward, I'm going to get more comfortable doing that.

"You realize as you get in more games, you have more time than you actually think, but it's all just an adjustment too. You get in these games, you kind of feel it out at the end of the year, and that's just going to move you forward."

Dean is shooting the puck more (he has eight shots on goal the past give games after zero his first three) and points will start to come; just ask Zack Bolduc. But until then, he will have to continue to show the Blues he can be of use in a multitude of ways.

"I have that grit, that competitive edge, but I also have some skill that I can put the puck in the net, I can make plays," Dean said. "Here I've had some chances too where I could have had a couple. It's not like I'm not getting any chances, I'm not creating anything. It'll come."

- - -

The Blues (43-33-5) will use the same lineup tonight, aside from Jordan Binnington getting the start in goal, that they used in Sunday's 4-1 home finale win against the Seattle Kraken, which means Jake Neighbours (upper-body injury) and Torey Krug (upper-body injury) will not finish the season.

Neighbours will have missed the last five games despite skating for three straight days; Krug has not taken in any on-ice sessions since leaving at the end of the second period of a 5-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks last Wednesday.

When the puck drops at 8:52 p.m. tonight (MAX, truTV, TNT, ESPN 101.1-FM), the Blues will have seven players finish the season having played all 82 games:

- - -

The NHL announced today the 32 team nominees for the 2023-24 King Clancy Memorial Trophy who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.

Captain Brayden Schenn is the Blues' nominee for the second consecutive year.

The winner will be announced at the annual NHL Awards after the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

- - -

The Blues' projected lineup:

Zack Bolduc-Robert Thomas-Brayden Schenn

Brandon Saad-Pavel Buchnevich-Jordan Kyrou

Alexey Toropchenko-Kevin Hayes-Kasperi Kapanen

Nathan Walker-Zach Dean-Sammy Blais

Scott Perunovich-Colton Parayko

Nick Leddy-Matthew Kessel

Marco Scandella-Tyler Tucker

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.

The healthy scratch includes Nikita Alexandrov. Jake Neighbours (upper body), Torey Krug (upper body), Justin Faulk (upper body) and Oskar Sundqvist (ACL) all are out.

- - -

The Stars' projected lineup:

Jason Robertson-Roope Hintz-Joe Pavelski

Mason Marchment-Matt Duchene-Evgenii Dadonov

Jamie Benn-Wyatt Johnston-Logan Stankoven

Radek Faksa-Sam Steel-Craig Smith

Thomas Harley-Miro Heiskanen

Esa Lindell-Chris Tanev

Ryan Suter-Niks Lundqvist

Jake Oettinger is projected to start in goal; Scott Wedgewood would be the backup.

The healthy scratches include Tyler Seguin and Ty Dellandrea. Jani Hakanpaa (upper body) is out.