St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced June 4, 2026 that the club signed forwards Zach Dean and Dylan Peterson to one-year, two-way contract extensions.
The deals keep both players under team control for the coming season and set their salary structure at the NHL and AHL levels for the year ahead. Both contracts are two-way and for one year.
Dean spent last season with the Springfield Thunderbirds, appearing in 36 regular-season games and recording 14 points on four goals and 10 assists. He added three points in 12 postseason games and has 32 points in 96 career AHL regular-season games. Dean also logged nine NHL regular-season games with the Blues in 2023-24, collecting six penalty minutes. The 2021 first-round pick, No. 30 overall, was acquired by St. Louis via trade on Feb. 26, 2023.
Peterson appeared in 57 regular-season games for Springfield last season, finishing with 24 points on 12 goals and 12 assists. He contributed two points in 10 postseason games and has 47 points in 112 career AHL regular-season contests. Peterson was selected by the Blues in the third round, No. 86 overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Both players entered the offseason as pending restricted free agents, and these agreements represent their first deals outside the entry-level system. By signing one-year, two-way contracts, the Blues have created roster flexibility: both forwards can be assigned to Springfield or kept under NHL recall conditions without long-term cap commitment.
On paper the move is straightforward roster management. In practice it preserves options for the Blues while giving Dean and Peterson a clear path to play their way into NHL roles. Dean’s modest NHL sample — nine games in 2023-24 — and Peterson’s steady AHL production underline the gap the contract structure acknowledges: both are still carving out whether they will be NHL regulars.
The immediate consequence is practical: payroll and waiver considerations are set for the coming season and both players will report to Blues camp under two-way terms. The longer consequence is evaluative. These are short-term bets by St. Louis that leave room to promote either forward if performance, roster injuries, or matchup needs demand it.
The central unresolved question is how much NHL ice time either will earn next season. Neither contract guarantees NHL minutes; the extensions only ensure the Blues control their rights through the year. Their next steps will be decided by performance in training camp, preseason opportunities and whatever openings the Blues’ roster produces during the regular season.
For the players, the season ahead will function as a proving ground: Dean will try to turn sporadic NHL exposure and a steady AHL baseline into a larger role, and Peterson will look to convert his AHL scoring into showings that force an NHL look. For the Blues, the decisions they make about promotions and playing time this fall will determine whether these one-year pacts become stepping stones to standard NHL contracts or another season split between Springfield and St. Louis.
