According to a new report, there is a “strong chance” the St. Louis Blues will sign AHL Springfield Thunderbirds center Dillon Dube to an NHL contract in a depth role next season.
The St. Louis Blues tried several players in their bottom six last season, especially on their fourth line, but the feeling was that no one truly locked down a role.
Heading into the 2026 off-season, finding players who can solidify that fourth line is a must, and a new report from The Athletic indicates that the player could come from within the organization.
According to The Athletic’s Jim Rutherford, he was told there is a “strong chance” the Blues will sign Dillon Dube to an NHL deal this off-season to play down the middle of the ice. The 27-year-old was signed to a professional tryout in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds, where he excelled.
Dube played as the first-line center for the Thunderbirds this season, posting 20 goals and 37 points in 46 games. He then added five goals and eight points in 12 post-season games.
The fourth line was a glaring weakness for the Blues this season, as Oskar Sundqvist, Alexey Toropchenko, Nathan Walker, and Jack Finley never truly emerged as must-play players.
If Dube can join the lineup and bring speed, physicality and chip in offensively when needed, there is a role for him to earn and lock down.
Although Dube hasn’t played an NHL game since the 2023-24 season, he was a second-round pick (56th overall) of the Calgary Flames in 2016. In his NHL career, Dube has posted 57 goals and 127 points in 325 games across six seasons.
While no contract has been finalized, and this is the first we are hearing of news involving Dube, this is a move that works for both sides. The Blues shore up their fourth-line center role with a player who plays a responsible game, and Dube receives the opportunity to play in the NHL again for the first time since the Team Canada world juniors sexual assault case.
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