With the preseason all wrapped up, the only thing left to do is to wait out this next week and prepare for the regular season. Obviously, the injury to defenseman Logan Mailloux really puts a damper on it, as there is a shroud of mystery about who can step up to replace him.
Could it be Colton Parayko, or maybe newcomer Justin Barron, who could be thrown into the fire opposite Philip Broberg on the first pairing? There is one more option, which could be a golden opportunity for a young prospect who has been highly anticipated by this fanbase for a long time.
Could Adam Jiricek live up to the challenge?
Golden opportunity to prove his worth
Jiricek is getting a chance to do something that not a lot of prospects can do. He is potentially going to get top-line minutes, right out of the gate of his hopefully very long career.
Usually, it takes prospects a long time to get this kind of chance to impress their organization. Jiricek had a fantastic training camp and preseason, and ultimately ensured his NHL debut was going to happen at some point in 2026-27.
The fact that he was one of the last cuts from the roster before Calle Rosen was waived placed where he stands in this organization's plans. The Blues need Jiricek to be the next big thing on the blue line.
But now, it could be on opening night.
Nothing to lose, let's see if he can sink or swim
If this call-up is to replace Mailloux on opening night, Jiricek can either go to the top line or the second line with Theo Lindstein. That allows Colton Parayko to go to the first pairing.
At this point in time, the Blues face a grueling gauntlet to start the season, and it might be best to see what Jiricek can do when the game is for real. Let him go out there for over 20+ minutes a night and endure the growing pains that come along with it.
He might falter at first, but what could come next might be a permanent replacement for Mailloux if Jiricek succeeds. The same argument can be made for newcomer Barron, and let us also not forget that the Blues are still surprisingly circling Alexander Nikishin.
The preseason showed that Jiricek was not out of place whatsoever. Can he translate that in a regular-season setting? There is only one way to find out.
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