Philip Broberg, have yourself a night!
Enjoy these two Philip Broberg goals, 27 seconds apart on the same shift. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/H1EfD5LKUY
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 3, 2025
The young defenseman finished last night's 7-1 thumping of the Ottawa Senators with two goals (scored within 30 seconds of each other!) and an assist. That is exactly the kind of performance you want to see from a 24-year-old defenseman expected to, at some point, take on a top-pair role for the St. Louis Blues.
"At some point" may be now, though the positional logistics could take some finagling.
Last season, Broberg averaged 20:30 of ice time each night--fourth most among Blues defensemen, and right in line with expectations for a "top four" blue liner. Considering Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk are well into their 30s at this point, it makes sense for Broberg to begin taking on the lion's share of minutes this season. The only hurdle is that Broberg is a left shot, the same as projected top-pair defenseman Cam Fowler, creating a bit of a logjam. The Blues could always bump Broberg to the top pair and move Fowler to the second, but, seeing as how Doug Armstrong just extended Fowler, that seems like an unlikely scenario.
Fret not, because there are ways to make this work.
For one, either Fowler or Broberg could move to their off side--not something most NHL players are wont to do, nor a lineup decision coaches love. However, there are success stories when coaches unshackle themselves from the norm: Travis Sanheim on the Philadelphia Flyers, for example, has been playing the right side consistently for most of the last two seasons and is projected to be there again this year. Not only has Sanheim excelled in the role, but he's on the shortlist to be a defenseman on Team Canada when the Olympics roll around in February. Perhaps one of Fowler or Broberg would be willing to diversify their game by moving to their off side and seeing how it works.
Another, simpler option is to hand the power play over to Broberg. Broberg was given barely 32 minutes on the man advantage last season, but it's clear he has a knack for offensive situations; giving him full reign over the top power play unit would boost his minutes and set the Blues up for the long-term with an excellent power play quarterback.
However the Blues and head coach Jim Montgomery deploy Broberg, one thing has been made abundantly clear: he is ready to step into a larger role if the team's willing to give it to him. It's a contract year for Broberg, too, and he's earned the chance to show just how far he can go.