Dillon Dube returns to the NHL with St. Louis after free-agent deal, setting up a reunion with Carter Hart

The St. Louis Blues have agreed to terms with winger Dillon Dube, bringing the 27-year-old back to the NHL after a season in the American Hockey League. The move also reconnects Dube with goaltender Carter Hart, who left the Philadelphia Flyers for the Vegas Golden Knights last fall and then returned to the league after the same legal proceedings that cleared Dube.

According to reporting from Yahoo Sports and the Associated Press, Dube’s deal is for $850,000 next season on a one-way contract. A one-way agreement means the salary is the same whether he plays in the NHL or is assigned to the minors, a structure that indicates the Blues are preparing to evaluate him seriously for NHL ice time without relying on an invitation-to-prove-it path.

Dube’s path back was not direct to the NHL. The report says he played 58 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Blues’ top AHL affiliate, after agreeing to a professional tryout in December with St. Louis. In that span, the Blues’ internal view was that he was more than just available, general manager Alexander Steen described the organization as having gotten to know him through his time in Springfield and discussed his role with coaches and teammates.

Steen’s comments, as reported, framed the decision as a “second chance” opportunity and emphasized Dube’s intent to be a positive influence in the Blues’ environment. The Blues also indicated they felt confident giving him a chance to compete for a spot on the NHL roster next year, rather than treating the contract as a placeholder.

Dube’s return is part of a broader post-trial reinstatement. The report notes that the NHL reinstated five acquitted players from the 2018 Canada world junior sexual-assault case to allow them to play beginning Dec. 1, following a judge in London, Ontario finding them not guilty and clearing Dube and others to resume hockey careers.

In that context, Dube becomes the second of those players to land an NHL contract since the legal process concluded, with Hart’s reappearance in the league occurring alongside the same reinstatement window. The report also describes Hart’s route through Vegas, including a Stanley Cup Final appearance that ended in a six-game loss to Carolina.

For St. Louis, the practical question now is how Dube fits, because a one-way deal at $850,000 suggests the Blues expect to see him in the NHL regularly at least at some point in the season. The offseason has to answer who gives way on the wing, and how the coaching staff balances Dube’s push for a roster role with the team’s existing forward group and timing for young players.

As training camps approach, Dube’s performance in preseason and early-season deployment will likely determine whether this contract is primarily a competitive opportunity or a longer-term commitment. The Blues, meanwhile, will also have to decide how much weight to place on his AHL workload and the change in pace between Springfield and the NHL, especially if their season needs multiple options down the lineup.