Blues Prospect Report: Dorion Surges, Springfield Rebounds, McIsaac Stays Steady

The week of February 16–23 gave prospect watchers plenty to chew on. From a Slovak forward skating under Olympic lights to a Springfield Thunderbirds group navigating a chaotic AHL schedule. Junior leagues delivered standout individual performances, and a pair of goaltenders lived very different versions of the same job. 

The Olympic Stage: Dvorský Holds His Own Against Elite Competition

Dalibor Dvorský was the only prospect in the system playing on the biggest stage in the world this week, and he handled the moment with the kind of poise you want to see from a teenager. He opened the past week with a strong performance in Slovakia’s 6–2 win over Germany, scoring once, adding an assist, and logging just over fourteen minutes. The rest of the week was tougher. Slovakia ran into the United States and Finland, two of the deepest teams in the field, and Dvorský went pointless while finishing minus‑three across those games.

The real takeaway isn’t the box score, but the trust. Dvorský averaged more than fifteen minutes per game against NHL‑heavy rosters, held his own physically, and didn’t look out of place on the Olympic stage. For a player at his stage of development, that kind of deployment says as much about his trajectory as any goal or assist.

QMJHL: Dorion Drives Play, Carbonneau Keeps Firing

Antoine Dorion (2024 7th round) delivered one of the most complete weeks of any prospect in the system. The Québec Remparts winger picked up assists in back‑to‑back wins over Baie‑Comeau and added two goals in the rematch the following night, finishing the week with four points, a plus‑three rating, and eight shots. His ability to generate offense while staying on the right side of the puck continues to make him one of the more polished forwards in the QMJHL pipeline.

Justin Carbonneau wasn’t far behind. The Blainville‑Boisbriand forward led all Blues junior prospects with 14 shots on goal this week, including a strong showing in a dramatic overtime win against Sherbrooke. He added an assist and four penalty minutes in that game and played his usual relentless, puck‑hunting style in wins over Gatineau and Rimouski. Even when he’s not scoring, Carbonneau’s pace and physicality leave a mark.

AHL: A Chaotic Week for Springfield’s Prospects

Springfield’s week was a tale of extremes. The Thunderbirds were run out of the building in a 7–2 loss to Wilkes‑Barre/Scranton on Thursday a game that tanked the plus‑minus of nearly every prospect on the roster. But they responded with two wins on Saturday, beating Providence 3–2 and edging Bridgeport 5–4 in a shootout. That context matters when evaluating individual performances.

Aleksanteri Kaskimäki was the most noticeable forward in the group. After a rough minus‑four night in the Wilkes‑Barre/Scranton loss, he rebounded with a goal and an assist in the shootout win over Bridgeport and finished the week with 17 shots on goal. His ability to generate volume even in low‑event games continues to be a positive sign.

On the blue line, Theo Lindstein quietly put together a strong week. He scored in the Thursday loss, added an assist in the Providence win, and finished plus‑two overall. Fellow Thunderbirds defenseman, Hunter Skinner chipped in two assists and logged a four‑shot game against Providence, showing the kind of steady two‑way involvement Springfield needs from him.

The Springfield forwards had a rollercoaster week on the scoresheet. Thomas Bordeleau’s week was mixed. He scored in the Bridgeport win but finished minus‑five overall, with four of those coming in the Thursday blowout. Jakub Stancl added a goal in the Providence win and played with good pace, though his minus‑two rating and a tough overtime shift against Bridgeport were blemishes. Juraj Pekarčík quietly produced two assists and finished plus‑one and remains a steady, under‑the‑radar player who continues to make smart reads.

Zach Dean added an assist, while Simon Robertsson and Nikita Susuyev contributed in depth roles. Michael Buchinger, Quinton Burns, Marc‑Andre Gaudet, and Leo Lööf went pointless but were part of Springfield’s two Saturday wins. For young players in depth roles, staying in the lineup and contributing to winning efforts is part of the development curve.

OHL: Fischer’s Physical Edge, Jiříček’s Shot Volume

Defenseman Lukas Fischer had a strong week for the Soo Greyhounds, recording two assists and ten penalty minutes across three games. His six PIMs in a win over his former club, the Sarnia Sting showed a willingness to play with bite, and he added another helper in a shootout loss to the same opponent. Even in a narrow 1–0 loss to Guelph, Fischer remained engaged, finishing the week with six shots and a plus‑two rating.

Adam Jiříček’s week was quieter but still showed flashes. Despite now hitting a 17-game streak without scoring a goal, he continued to show signs of a well rounded defender. He went pointless in wins over Kingston and Oshawa before picking up an assist in a loss to Barrie. His minus‑two rating came mostly from that final game, but his six shots on goal across the week show clear offensive intent. 

WHL: McIsaac Steady, Jecho Navigates a Tough Split

William McIsaac (2024 5th round) continued his strong season with a plus‑three week across two lopsided Spokane wins. He didn’t record a point, but he logged meaningful minutes, added two penalty minutes, and played clean, structured hockey in both games finishing the week with a plus‑three rating in back‑to‑back blowouts.

Adam Jecho had a more uneven week with Edmonton. He picked up an assist in a win over Lethbridge but was held off the scoresheet in a tough loss to Brandon. His two shots in that game were a small bright spot in an otherwise difficult team performance. 

KHL: Korotky Steady, Others Finding Their Rhythm

Matvei Korotky logged over sixty minutes across three games for SKA St. Petersburg, picking up an assist in a shootout loss to Severstal and finishing plus‑one in that outing. He added nine shots on goal across the week and continued to earn significant ice time deploying as the clubs number one center while averaging more than twenty minutes per game. The production wasn’t flashy, but the trust level remains the headline, especially at 20 years old. 

Mikhail Fyodorov (2025 5th round) saw limited minutes with Metallurg, averaging under seven minutes per game but still managing four shots across two wins. At this stage, simply staying in the lineup as a fourth line player of a deep KHL roster is meaningful.

Ivan Vorobyov had a two‑game week with Amur, logging nearly twenty‑eight minutes total. He went pointless but played a steady game in a gritty win over Avangard and added two penalty minutes in a loss to Metallurg. KHL defenseman, Arseni Koromyslov had a similarly quiet week for Traktor, picking up two PIMs in a win before a tough outing in a 6–0 loss to Salavat Yulaev while averaging around sixteen minutes per night. 

NCAA: Mayich Leads the Way, Mrsic Battles Through Tight Games

Defenseman Matthew Mayich (2023 6th round) delivered the best NCAA week of any Blues prospect. The Clarkson defenseman recorded assists in wins over Yale and Brown, logging more than forty‑two minutes across the two games and finishing plus‑four. His combination of ice time, defensive reliability, and timely offense continues to build his case as a legitimate two‑way prospect.

Fellow prospect defenseman, Colin Ralph helped Michigan State sweep Notre Dame, logging nearly thirty‑six minutes across two games and finishing plus‑one. He didn’t record a point, but as a steady, stay-at-home defender, his ability to handle heavy minutes in back‑to‑back games without special‑teams insulation is exactly what pro evaluators look for.

Freshman forward Tomas Mrsic had a tougher weekend with Colorado College, going pointless in a tie and a loss to Western Michigan. Deployed now in a bottom-six role, he logged twenty‑three minutes and put five shots on net, but the Tigers struggled to generate offense in two tight, low‑scoring games.

Finland: Kos Logs Heavy Minutes

The long-road to recovery has finally come to an end with Ondřej Kos finally returning to action. Having last played at the end of April 2025, he finished this week playing one game for Ilves U20, logging more than twenty‑one minutes in a 3–1 loss to Kiekko‑Espoo. He didn’t record a point, but his seven shots on goal were a strong indicator of offensive engagement. For a young player in the Finnish system, the ice time and shot volume are encouraging signs.

HockeyAllsvenskan: A Quiet Night for Härenstam

Love Härenstam dressed for Södertälje SK in a 4–2 loss to Troja‑Ljungby but did not record any time on ice. It was a quiet week with little to evaluate, but he remains a goaltender worth monitoring as the season progresses.

Between the Pipes: Zherenko Carries the Load, Cranley Takes a Tough One

Vadim Zherenko was Springfield’s workhorse, starting all three games and posting a .906 save percentage across nearly 170 minutes. He delivered a .939 performance in a win over Providence, followed by a shootout victory over Bridgeport and a tougher outing in the Wilkes‑Barre/Scranton loss. The raw goals‑against total isn’t flattering, but the context that includes one blowout, matters.

Will Cranley initially started the game of the Wilkes‑Barre/Scranton loss and stopped five of nine shots.