Zach Dean back playing hockey; Jiricek picks up where he left off for Brantford; Kaskimaki picking up scoring since going back to AHL; Carbonneau reaches 30 goals
We took a two-week hiatus from St. Louis Blues prospects to focus more on the 2026 World Junior Championship, but now that everyone, including WJC medalists Love Harenstam (Sweden, gold) and Adam Jiricek (Czechia, silver), are back in full swing, let's look at the guys who have hit the ice running (or skating) again.
And this one is more feel-good as much as it is the Blues wanting to see this kid start to prosper again.
It's a welcome back to Zach Dean (2021, first round, No. 30 by the Vegas Golden Knights), who finally returned to the ice for Springfield of the American Hockey League last Wednesday after taking an indefinite leave of absence to receive care from the Player Assistance Program of the NHLPA and NHL.
The 23-year0old had his best game on Friday when he had an assist on a Dylan Peterson goal in the third period of a 7-4 win over Hartford:
Dean, who was injured much of last season that limited him to 11 games, has 10 goals and nine assists in 63 games for the Thunderbirds, but now more than anything, just needs to play games to get his career back on the rails.
He's even on the plus-minus through three games and had three shots on goal in the win on Friday.
Now on to the rest --
* Adam Jiricek -- The 2024 first-round pick (No. 16), who was named best defenseman at the 2026 World Junior Championship representing Czechia, which lost in the gold medal game, 4-2 to Sweden, returned to Brantford of the Ontario Hockey League and picked up where he left off when he last played on Dec. 6 with four points in three games.
After being held without a point on Wednesday in a 4-2 win against Niagara, Jiricek had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win at London on Friday, including this beauty of an apple before making it 3-0 himself:
He then followed it up with two goals on Sunday afternoon in a 7-3 win at Windsor, including this move and ensuing dart of a wrister that made it 2-1 before firing a one-time clapper from the left circle to finish the scoring:
The defenseman is now up to 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) and a plus-23 in 28 games, including multi-point games in three of his past five games as he tries to fuel the Bulldogs (28-7-4-1, 61 points) in the first step of winning an Eastern Conference regular season title.
* Justin Carbonneau -- After hitting his longest dry spell of the season going three games without a goal or an assist, the 2025 first-round pick (No. 19) picked up two assists on Sunday for Blainville-Boisbriand of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League in a 4-0 win against Cape Breton.
Carbonneau scored twice, including getting to 30 goals, on Jan. 3 in a 6-4 loss to Rouyn-Noranda but then went three straight games without a point.
Nonetheless, the forward is up to 30 goals and 17 assists in 30 games and is on pace to for 80 points (51 goals, 29 assists) in 60 games this season as he continues to play on a strong point pace.
* Lukas Fischer -- The 2024 second-round pick, who was traded by Sarnia of the OHL to Sault Ste. Marie, had a goal and an assist for the Greyhounds on Wednesday in a 6-2 win against Sudbury, including getting his fourth of the season as part of a four-goal first period that made it 3-0, which was also his first as a Greyhound:
Fischer now has 26 points (four goals, 22 assists) in37 games, including a goal and seven assists in 11 games for the Soo.
* Will McIsaac -- The defenseman and 2024 fifth-round pick has gone 10 straight without a goal but did pick up three assists in back-to-back games, getting one Friday for Spokane of the Western Hockey League in a 2-1 loss to Victoria before getting two helpers Saturday in a return match against the Royals in a 3-1 win to give him 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) and a plus-11 in 38 games.
* Antoine Dorion -- The forward and 2024 seventh-round pick has gone without a point in the past three games for Quebec of the QMJHL but did have a goal and two assists on Jan. 3 in a 5-3 win over Drummondville that included a four-goal third period rally in which Dorion, who has 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 26 games this season for the Remparts, scored the empty-net insurance goal to seal the win.
We'll keep an eye on this collision that's not as bad as it looked when Dorion collided with the Rimouski goalie on Friday in a 4-3 overtime loss:
* Arseny Koromyslov -- The Russian defenseman, a a 2022 fourth-round pick, continues to play a big role and getting plenty of minutes for Traktor of the KHL.
The 22-year-old, who has a goal and 14 assists in 42 games this season, is averaging 17:48 of ice time per game this season and is a plus-8; he played 17:33 on Sunday in a 4-1 win over Sibir.
* Quinton Burns -- Since arriving in Florida of the ECHL to play for the Everglades, the 2023 third-round pick has been playing plenty and picked up four assists over the weekend, including three on Saturday in a 4-1 win over Worcester to give him a goal and five assists in 16 games but is a plus-10 playing his physical style.
* Matt Luff -- That taste with the Blues earlier this season seems to have fueled the forward.
Luff is on a four-game point streak (two goals, four assists) and has 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 10 games since the Blues sent him back to Springfield.
He had an assist Wednesday in a 5-1 loss to Utica, then followed it up with two assists Friday against Hartford, then had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 loss to Lehigh Valley on Saturday:
Luff is now more than a point-per-game player for the Thunderbirds (28 points; 12 goals, 16 assists) in 27 games; he played five games with the Blues Dec. 7-18 and scored on Dec. 12 in a 3-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks.
* Aleksanteri Kaskimaki -- Since returning to Springfield on Dec. 12, the third-round pick in 2022 has found his scoring touch.
He has nine points (five goals, four assists) in 10 games, including two beauty goals on Saturday in the win over Hartford:
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